Frank 
Before  Vicksburg 


BY 

HARRY  CASTLEMON 

Author  of 

Frank,  the  Young   Naturalist,"    "Frank  on  a  Gunboat,'* 
"  Frank  at  Don  Carlos'  Rancho,"  "  Julian  Mortimer,"  etc. 


A.  L.  BURT  COMPANY,  PUBLISHERS 
NEW  YORK 


STACK 


5125808 

FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 
CHAPTER  I 

HOME  AGAIN 

AFTER  all  the  tragic  adventures  which 
Frank  Nelson  had  passed  through,  since  enter- 
ing the  service  of  his  country,  which  we  have 
attempted  to  describe  in  the  preceding  volume 
of  this  series,  he  found  himself  surrounded  by 
his  relatives  and  friends,  petted  and  feted, 
enjoying  all  the  comforts  of  his  old  and  well- 
beloved  home. 

Only  those  who  have  been  in  similar  cir- 
cumstances can  imagine  how  pleasant  that 
quiet  little  cottage  seemed  to  Frank,  after  the 
scenes  of  danger  through  which  he  had  passed. 
He  looked  back  to  the  memorable  struggle 
between  the  lines;  the  scene  in  the  turret  dur- 

ing the  first  day's  fight  at  Fort  Pemberton; 

i 


2  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

the  privations  he  had  undergone  while  confined 
in  the  prison  at  Shreveport ;  his  almost  miracu- 
lous escape;  and  they  seemed  to  him  like  a 
dream.  All  his  sufferings  were  forgotten  in 
the  joy  he  felt  at  finding  himself  once  more  at 
home.  But  sorrow  was  mingled  with  his  joy 
when  he  looked  upon  the  weeds  which  his 
mother  wore,  and  when  he  saw  the  look  of 
sadness  which  had  taken  the  place  of  her  once 
happy  smile.  She  seemed  ten  years  older  than 
she  looked  on  that  pleasant  morning,  just  fif- 
teen months  before,  when,  standing  in  the 
door,  she  had  strained  her  son  to  her  bosom,  and 
uttered  those  words  which  had  rung  in  Frank's 
ears  whenever  he  felt  himself  about  to  give 
away  to  his  feelings  of  terror: 

"Good-by,  my  son;  I  may  never  see  you 
again,  but  I  hope  I  shall  never  hear  that  you 
shrank  from  your  duty." 

Frank  shuddered  when  he  thought  how  in- 
tense must  have  been  the  suffering  that  could 
work  so  great  a  change.  But  now  that  he  was 
safe  at  home  again,  there  was  no  cause  but 
for  rejoicing.  His  presence  there  afforded 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  5 

abundant  proof  that  he  had  not  been  shot  while 
attempting  to  run  the  guards  at  Shreveport,  as 
had  been  reported. 

And  how  great  must  have  been  the  joy 
which  that  mother  felt  at  beholding  him  once 
more!  Although  he  did  not  move  about  the 
house  in  his  accustomed  noisy,  boyish  way, 
and  although  his  cheek  had  been  paled  by  his 
recent  sickness,  from  which  he  had  not  yet 
wholly  recovered,  he  was  still  the  same  lively, 
generous  Frank  whom  she  had  so  freely  given 
up  to  the  service  of  his  country.  During  the 
short  time  that  they  had  been  separated,  he 
had  been  placed  in  situations  where  his  cour- 
age and  determination  had  been  severely 

* 
tested,  and  had  come  safely  through,  never 

forgetting  his  mother's  advice ;  and  that  mother 
could  not  suppress  the  emotions  of  pride  that 
arose  in  her  heart,  for  she  knew  that  her  son 
had  done  his  duty. 

Numerous  were  the  questions  that  were 
asked  and  answered,  on  both  sides.  Frank 
was  obliged  to  relate,  over  and  over  again, 
the  story  of  his  capture  and  escape,  until  Aunt 


4  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBTTIG 

Hannah  thrust  her  head  into  the  room,  with 
the  announcement  that  supper  was  ready. 

When  the  meal  was  finished,  Frank  re- 
moved his  trunk  into  his  study.  Everything 
there  was  just  as  he  left  it:  the  fore-and-aft 
schooner,  and  the  box  inclosing  the  scene  at 
sea,  still  stood  upon  the  bureau;  his  sporting 
cabinet  hung  on  the  frame  at  the  foot  of  the 
bed;  the  little  clock  on  the  mantel-piece  ticked 
as  musically  as  in  days  of  yore;  and  the  limb 
of  the  rose-bush  that  covered  his  window 
flapped  against  the  house  just  as  it  did  the 
night  when  it  was  broken  off  by  the  storm. 

After  he  had  taken  a  fond,  lingering  look 
at  each  familiar  object,  he  went  into  the 
museum,  accompanied  by  his  mother  and  sis- 
ter, while  Brave  ran  on  before.  Julia  opened 
the  door,  and  there  stood  the  wild-cat,  just  as 
he  looked  when  the  young  naturalist  had  en- 
countered him  in  the  woods.  Frank  remem- 
bered how  the  cold  sweat  had  started  out 
from  every  pore  in  his  body  when  he  first  found 
himself  face  to  face  with  this  "ugly  customer," 
and  he  could  not  help  smiling  when  he  thought 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  5 

how  terrified  he  was.  As  he  walked  slowly 
around  the  museum,  examining  all  the  speci- 
mens, as  though  he  had  never  seen  them  before, 
he  thought  over  the  little  history  of  each. 
There  was  the  buck  that  he  and  Archie  had 
killed  in  the  lake,  when  they  lost  their  guns, 
and  the  latter  had  wished  they  "had  never  seen 
the  deer."  Then  came  the  owl,  which  Frank 
had  shot  on  that  rainy  morning  when  Archie 
had  felt  so  certain  of  his  prize.  Then  there 
was  the  white  buck,  which  the  boys  had  rescued 
from  the  wolves  only  to  have  him  killed  by  a 
panther.  Next  came  the  moose  with  which 
Frank  had  struggled  so  desperately  in  the 
woods,  and  from  which  he  had  been  rescued  by 
the  trapper  and  his  dog.  The  skin  of  the  bear, 
which  he  had  trapped,  and  followed  to  the 
cave,  and  that  of  the  panther  that  killed  the 
white  buck,  still  hung  on  a  nail  behind  the 
door,  where  he  had  left  them  after  his  return 
from  the  woods. 

After  examining  everything  to  his  satisfac- 
tion, he  went  into  the  shanty  behind  the 
museum,  where  he  kept  his  pets.  The  rac- 


6 

coons  which  had  become  so  tame  that  Julia  al- 
lowed them  to  run  about,  started  away  at  his 
approach;  but  the  squirrels  and  otter  recog- 
nized him  at  once;  and  while  one  ran  down 
into  his  pockets  in  search  for  nuts,  the  other 
came  toward  him,  uttering  a  faint  whine,  and 
looked  up  as  if  expecting  the  piece  of  cracker 
which  Frank,  in  former  days,  had  always 
taken  especial  care  to  provide  for  him.  The 
king-birds  were  now  five  in  number,  the  old 
birds  having  raised  a  nestful  of  young  ones, 
which  were  no  less  efficient  in  driving  every 
bird  from  the  orchard,  or  less  lenient  to  the 
crow,  than  their  parents.  The  old  king-birds 
lit  on  Frank's  shoulders,  while  Daw  seemed 
to  prefer  his  master's  uniform  cap,  and  was 
about  to  take  possession  of  it,  when  his  ene- 
mies straightway  commenced  a  fight,  and  the 
poor  crow,  after  a  desperate  resistance,  was 
driven  from  the  shanty. 

Perhaps  the  reader  would  like  to  know  what 
has  become  of  the  young  moose  and  the  cubs 
which  Frank  captured  during  his  visit  at  the 
trapper's  cabin.  Well,  they  have  good  quar- 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  % 

ters,  and  are  well  provided  for  at  Uncle 
Mike's,  the  same  who  assisted  the  young 
naturalist  on  the  morning  when  he  saw  him 
trying  to  get  his  scow  up  to  his  work-shop. 
The  moose  has  about  an  acre  of  pasture  al- 
lowed him.  He  is  as  tame  and  gentle  as  ever, 
never  attempting  to  escape.  Uncle  Mike  has 
put  this  entirely  out  of  his  power,  for  he  is 
surrounded  by  a  ten-rail  fence.  The  animal 
more  than  pays  for  his  keeping,  and  many  a 
load  of  wood  has  he  drawn  up  to  Mike's  door 
for  the  use  of  his  family. 

The  cubs,  which  are  considerably  larger  than 
when  we  last  saw  them,  are  a  source  of  a  great 
deal  of  annoyance  to  the  honest  Irishman. 
They  are  still  as  playful  as  ever,  and  amuse 
themselves  all  day  long  in  turning  somersaults 
and  wrestling  with  each  other;  but  Mike  has 
learned  to  "stand  from  under."  He  can  gen- 
erally  defend  himself  against  the  attacks  of  one 
of  the  cubs,  but  the  other  is  always  ready  to 
lend  assistance,  and  the  Irishman  is  invariably 
worsted.  He  keeps  them  confined  in  a  build- 
ing that  once  served  as  a  smoke-house,  and  not 


8  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

daring  to  trust  himself  within  reach  of  their 
paws,  he  gives  them  their  food  through  the 
window. 

It  was  dark  before  Frank  had  seen  and 
heard  enough  to  satisfy  him  to  return  to  the 
cottage.  The  evening  was  spent  in  listening 
to  his  stories  of  gunboat  life  on  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  it  was  midnight  before  he  retired 
to  his  room.  The  Newfoundlander,  which  had 
been  close  at  his  master's  side  ever  since  he  re- 
turned, scarcely  leaving  him  for  a  moment, 
followed  him  into  his  study,  and  took  posses- 
sion of  the  rug  before  the  door.  After  winding 
up  the  clock  that  stood  on  the  mantel,  and  set- 
ting the  alarm,  Frank  put  out  the  light,  and 
tumbled  into  bed.  Although  he  was  pretty 
well  tired  out,  he  did  not  hesitate  a  moment  to 
answer  the  summons  of  the  little  bell  that  rang 
at  four  o'clock,  but  was  out  on  the  floor  almost 
before  the  notes  of  the  alarm  had  ceased.  In 
a  few  moments  he  was  dressed ;  and  taking  his 
fish-pole  and  basket,  which  hung  on  the  rack 
at  the  foot  of  the  bed,  accompanied  by  Brave, 
set  out  with  the  intention  of  paying  a  visit  to 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  9 

the  lake  in  the  swamp,  which  had  been  the 
scene  of  the  fight  with  the  buck. 

As  he  walked  along  up  the  road,  the  associa- 
tions connected  with  each  locality  were  re- 
called to  his  mind.  Here  was  the  place  where 
the  black  fox,  which  had  so  long  held  posses- 
sion of  Reynard's  Island,  had  crossed  the  creek 
with  Sport — "the  dog  that  had  never  lost  a 
fox" — following  close  on  his  trail.  There  was 
the  tree  leaning  out  over  the  creek,  behind 
which  Archie  had  crept  for  concealment  when 
in  pursuit  of  the  canvas-backs ;  and  a  little  fur- 
ther on  was  the  bridge  which  they  had  crossed 
on  that  rainy  morning  that  the  geese  had  taken 
refuge  in  the  swamp. 

Frank  feasted  his  eyes  on  each  familiar 
object  as  he  walked  along,  until  he  arrived  at 
the  end  of  the  road,  where  stood  Uncle  Mike's 
rustic  cottage.  As  he  approached,  that  indi- 
vidual appeared  at  the  door,  shaded  his  eyes 
with  his  hand,  gazed  at  our  hero  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  then  sprang  out,  and  greeted  him 
with — 

"Arrah,  Master  Frank!  is  this  you,  me  boy?" 


10  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

"Yes,  Uncle  Mike,  it's  I,"  answered  Frank, 
extending  his  hand  to  the  man,  who  shook  it 
heartily  while  tears  of  genuine  joy  rolled  down 
his  cheeks.  "I'm  back  again,  safe  and  sound." 

"It's  me  own  silf  that's  glad  to  see  you," 
said  Mike.  "I  heered  you  was  kilt  intirely  by 
the  rebels;  bad  luck  to  the  likes  o'  them.  But 
come  with  me,  Master  Frank ;  ye's  been  fightin' 
rebels,  but  I've  been  fightin'  them  varmints 
ye  ketched  in  the  woods." 

The  Irishman  led  the  way  to  the  building 
in  which  the  cubs  were  confined,  and  opened 
the  blind  which  protected  the  window,  to  al- 
low Frank  to  look  in.  He  could  scarcely 
recognize  in  the  large,  shaggy  forms  that  were 
tumbling  about  over  the  floor,  the  small,  weak 
cubs  which  he  had  carried  for  twenty  miles 
in  the  pocket  of  his  overcoat. 

As  soon  as  the  window  was  opened,  they 
raised  themselves  on  their  haunches,  and  en- 
deavored to  reach  Uncle  Mike's  red  flannel 
cap,  an  article  he  had  worn  ever  since  Frank 
could  remember. 

"Aisy,  aisy,  there,  you  blackguards!"  ex- 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  11 

claimed  Mike,  endeavoring  to  ward  off  the 
blows  which  the  cubs  aimed  at  him.  "Can't 
yees  be  aisy,  I  say?  That's  the  way  they  al- 
ways do,  Master  Frank;  me  old  cap  seems  to 
give  'em  a  deal  of  throuble." 

After  amusing  himself  for  some  time  in 
watching  the  motions  of  the  clumsy  animals, 
Frank  followed  Uncle  Mike  to  the  pen  in 
which  the  moose  was  kept.  He  had  grown 
finely,  was  nearly  as  large  as  a  horse,  and  his 
head  was  furnished  with  a  pair  of  wide-spread- 
ing antlers,  the  sight  of  which  made  Frank 
shudder,  and  recall  to  mind  that  desperate  fight 
in  the  woods,  and  his  narrow  escape  from 
death.  The  moose  was  very  gentle,  and  al- 
lowed his  young  master  to  lead  him  about  the 
yard,  and  would  come  at  his  call  as  readily  as 
a  dog. 

After  seeing  the  animal  "shown  off"  to  his 
best  advantages,  Frank  got  into  Uncle  Mike's 
skiff,  and  pulled  up  the  creek  toward  the  lake. 
Half  an  hour's  rowing  brought  him  to  the 
point  behind  which  he  and  his  cousin  had  cap- 
tured the  eider-ducks,  and  where  they  had  first 


12  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

caught  sight  of  the  buck.  After  making  his 
skiff  fast  to  a  tree  on  the  bank,  he  rigged  his 
pole,  baited  his  hook,  and  dropped  it  into  the 
water.  The  way  in  which  the  line  tightened 
showed  him  that  the  "old  perch-hole"  had  still 
plenty  of  occupants,  and  in  a  moment  more  a 
fish  lay  floundering  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat. 

We  need  not  say  that  Frank  enjoyed  him- 
self hugely  during  the  hour  and  a  half  that 
he  remained  on  the  lake.  The  fish  bit  vora- 
ciously, and  the  sport  was  exciting,  especially 
as  it  had  been  so  long  since  Frank  had  had  an 
opportunity  to  engage  in  his  favorite  recrea- 
tion. But  his  conscience  would  not  allow  him 
to  "wantonly  waste  the  good  things  of  God," 
and,  when  he  had  caught  enough  for  his  break- 
fast, he  unfastened  his  skiff  and  pulled  toward 
home. 

Frank  spent  the  forenoon  in  recounting 
some  of  his  adventures  to  his  mother  and  Julia, 
of  which  they  seemed  never  to  grow  weary. 
When  Aunt  Hannah  announced  that  dinner 
was  ready,  he  lingered  for  a  moment  on  the 
portico  to  watch  the  movements  of  .a  flock  of 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  13 

ducks,  which,  in  company  with  the  old  ones, 
the  same  that  he  and  Archie  had  captured  in 
the  lake,  were  swimming  about  in  the  creek 
in  front  of  the  house;  but,  as  he  was  about  to 
follow  his  mother  into  the  dining-room,  he 
heard  a  loud  scream,  which  seemed  to  come 
from  above  him,  and  looked  up  just  in  time  to 
see  a  bald  eagle  swoop  down  upon  the  ducks. 
The  old  ones  uttered  their  notes  of  alarm,  and, 
rising  from  the  water,  flew  over  the  cottage 
toward  the  barn,  while  the  ducklings  darted 
under  the  leaves  of  the  lilies.  But  one  was  too 
late;  for,  as  the  eagle  arose  in  the  air,  he  bore 
off  his  prize. 

Frank  immediately  ran  into  the  house  for 
his  gun,  determined  that  the  life  of  the  eagle 
should  pay  for  that  of  the  duck;  but  on  his 
return  he  found  that  the  robber  was  already 
being  severely  punished  for  the  mischief  he 
had  done.  Daw  and  the  king-birds,  which 
seemed  to  have  an  idea  that  something  un- 
usual was  going  on,  had  attacked  him  with  a 
fury  that  Frank  had  never  before  witnessed. 
The  eagle  was  flying,  zigzag,  through  the  air, 


14  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

but  was  met  at  every  point  by  his  tormentors. 
Frank,  who  dared  not  fire  for  fear  of  wound- 
ing his  pets,  ran  down  the  .walk,  sprang  over 
the  fence,  and  awaited  the  issue  of  the  fight, 
hoping  that  the  eagle  would  be  compelled  to 
take  refuge  in  one  of  the  trees  that  grew  on 
the  bank  of  the  creek.  Nor  was  he  mistaken; 
for  the  robber,  finding  that  he  could  not  escape 
his  enemies,  settled  down  on  a  limb  but  a  short 
distance  off,  and,  after  deliberately  folding 
his  wings,  snapped  his  beak,  as  if  defying 
them  to  keep  up  the  contest.  The  king-birds 
seated  themselves  on  the  branches  above  his 
head,  and  commenced  their  angry  twittering, 
and  Daw  joined  in  with  a  loud  "caw,  caw." 

This  seemed  to  be  the  first  intimation  that 
the  king-birds  had  received  of  his  presence, 
for  they  straightway  flew  at  him,  and  Daw, 
although  he  had  lent  effective  assistance  in 
fighting  the  eagle,  did  not  stop  to  resist,  but 
beat  a  hasty  retreat  toward  the  cottage.  This 
seemed  a  favorable  moment  for  the  eagle;  he 
leaped  from  his  perch,  and  was  flying  off  with 
his  booty,  when  the  report  of  Frank's  gun 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  16 

brought  him  to  the  ground.  The  young  nat- 
uralist shouldered  his  prize,  and  was  starting 
toward  the  house,  when  a  voice  called  out : 

"Hallo,  there!  At  your  old  tricks  again  so 
soon?" 

Frank  looked  up,  and  saw  Harry  Butler 
coming  toward  him.  Neither  had  dreamed  of 
the  presence  of  the  other  in  the  village,  and 
the  cordial  manner  in  which  the  two  friends 
greeted  each  other  proved  that  their  long 
separation  had  not  lessened  their  affection. 
But  Frank  noticed  at  once  that  his  friend  was 
greatly  changed.  He  looked  haggard  and 
careworn;  he  was  no  longer  the  wild,  impetu- 
ous Harry ;  he  had  grown  more  sedate ;  and  his 
face,  which  had  once  beamed  with  a  smile  for 
every  one,  now  wore  a  look  of  sorrow,  for  which 
Frank  could  not  account.  It  is  true  that  he 
noticed  that  Harry  carried  his  arm  in  a  sling, 
but  he  knew  that  it  was  not  bodily  suffering 
that  had  caused  that  look  of  sadness. 

"Harry,  what  is  the  matter  with  you?"  was 
his  first  question.  "You  look  completely  worn 
out." 

T 


16  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

"So  I  am,"  was  the  answer.  "Let  us  sit 
down  on  this  log,  and  I'll  tell  you  all  about  it. 
I've  often  been  here  to  visit  your  folks,"  he 
continued,  "never  expecting  to  see  you  again, 
as  I  learned  that  you  had  been  captured,  and 
afterward  shot,  while  trying  to  escape.  You 
say  I  look  worn  out ;  so  would  you  if  your  only 
brother  was  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of  the 
rebels,  held  as  a  hostage,  and  every  moment 
expecting  to  be  hung.  George  is  in  that  situa- 
tion, and  I  look  upon  his  death  not  only  as  a 
possible,  but  a  very  probable  thing.  It  has 
been  a  hard  task  for  me  to  convince  myself 
that,  if  I  should  live  to  return  home  after  the 
war,  I  should  be  alone,  as  I  certainly  thought 
I  should  be  when  I  heard  that  you  had  been 
shot,  and  that  George  was  not  much  better 
off.  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  pass  my  fur- 
lough in  the  house,  for  I  didn't  want  to  have 
any  one  near  me;  but,  now  that  you  are  here, 
I  want  to  visit  all  our  old  haunts  again.  Let 
us  take  a  walk  in  the  woods.  Bring  your 
dinner  along  with  you ;  I  haven't  had  mine  yet." 

In  accordance  with  Harry's  suggestion,  a 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  17 

basket  was  filled  with  eatables,  and  the  boys 
bent  their  steps  through  the  orchard  toward 
the  meadow  that  lay  between  the  cottage  and 
the  woods.  As  they  walked  along,  Frank  re- 
lated some  of  the  interesting  incidents  of  his 
life  in  the  service,  and  Harry  finally  began  to 
recover  his  usual  spirits.  At  length  they 
reached  the  cabin  in  the  woods,  that  had  been 
the  scene  of  the  camp  on  the  day  of  the  rac- 
coon hunt,  and  there  they  stopped  to  rest  and 
eat  their  dinner. 


CHAPTER  II 

HARRY  ON  A  SCOUT 

WHEN  they  had  finished  everything  in  the 
basket,  the  boys  threw  themselves  on  the  grass 
in  front  of  the  cabin,  and  Harry  said: 

"I  shall  never  forget  the  last  time  we  made 
our  camp  here — on  the  day  we  had  that  'coon 
hunt,  and  Archie  fell  into  the  creek.  I've 
thought  of  it  a  great  many  times  since  I  left 
home  to  go  into  the  service,  and  it  makes  me 
feel  sad  to  see  how  things  have  changed. 
From  schoolboys  and  amateur  hunters,  who 
started  and  turned  pale  when  we  heard  the 
howl  of  a  wolf  or  the  hooting  of  an  owl,  you 
and  I  have  grown  pretty  well  on  toward  man- 
hood; have  become  experienced  in  scenes  of 
danger,  and  have  had  more  narrow  escapes 
than  when  we  climbed  up  that  tree  to  get  out 

of  the  reach  of  the  wolves  that  were  in  pur- 
is 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  19 

suit  of  the  white  buck.  But  there  are  some 
who  have  not  been  as  fortunate  as  ourselves. 
There  has  been  a  thinning  out  of  our  ranks, 
and  two  good  fellows  who  have  hunted  with 
us  in  these  woods,  and  slept  under  the  same 
blankets  with  us  in  this  cabin,  we  shall  never 
see  again;  and  the  probabilities  are,  that,  if 
we  live  to  return  home  again,  after  peace  has 
been  restored,  and  we  go  tramping  around 
through  these  woods  to  visit  all  our  old  hunt- 
ing and  fishing-grounds,  we  shall  miss  a  third. 
Ben  Lake  and  William  Johnson  are  dead ;  my 
brother  is  suffering  in  a  rebel  prison,  and, 
from  what  I  have  seen  and  heard  of  the  man- 
ner in  which  Union  prisoners  are  treated  at 
the  South,  I  never  expect  to  see  him  again, 
even  if  he  is  not  executed.  Ben  Lake,  you 
know,  was  a  quiet,  good-natured  fellow,  scarce- 
ly ever  saying  anything  unless  he  was  first 
spoken  to,  and  I  had  an  idea  that  he  would  be 
a  little  cowardly  when  he  heard  the  bullets 
whistling  around  him;  but  I  was  never  more 
mistaken  in  my  life,  for  he  won  his  promotion 
in  the  very  first  battle  in  which  our  regiment 


20  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

was  engaged.  When  I  was  made  captain  of 
our  company,  he  received  the  appointment  of 
first  lieutenant,  and  an  excellent  officer  he 
made.  He  was  a  splendid  rider,  and  when 
mounted  on  his  horse — 'Thunderbolt'  he  called 
him — he  made  a  fine  appearance.  He  was 
no  band-box  officer,  however,  for  he  never 
shrank  from  his  duty,  he  was  above  ordering 
one  of  his  men  to  do  what  he  was  afraid  to 
undertake  himself.  He  and  I  were  prisoners 
once  for  about  forty-eight  hours,  and  the  way 
it  happened  was  this : 

"Our  regiment;  after  the  battle  of  Pitts- 
burg  Landing,  was  detached  from  the  West- 
ern army  and  ordered  to  the  Potomac.  We 
had  scarcely  been  there  a  week  before  we  were 
sent  out  on  a  scout,  with  orders  to  capture 
Mosby,  who  was  constantly  harassing  us,  and 
scatter  his  command.  We  were  out  about 
ten  days,  without  accomplishing  our  object. 
Not  a  single  glimpse  did  we  get  of  a  reb,  and 
finally  we  turned  our  faces  toward  the  camp. 
Our  horses,  as  well  as  ourselves,  were  nearly 
jaded,  and  the  way  we  do  there,  when  a  horse 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  21 

gives  out,  is  to  put  a  bullet  through  his  head, 
shoulder  our  saddles,  and  trudge  along  after 
the  column  on  foot,  until  we  can  find  another 
animal  to  ride.  I  had  command  of  the  rear 
guard;  and  when  we  had  arrived  within  a 
day's  march  of  camp,  my  horse  suddenly  gave 
out — laid  right  down  in  the  middle  of  the 
road,  and  couldn't  go  a  step  further.  I  was 
in  something  of  a  fix,  and  my  feelings  were 
none  of  the  pleasantest  when  I  found  myself 
sprawling  in  the  dusty  road,  and  saw  that  my 
horse  was  used  up.  It  was  something  of  an 
undertaking  to  find  my  way  back  to  camp, 
through  a  country  infested  with  guerrillas,  and 
with  which  I  was  entirely  unacquainted.  It 
is  true  that  I  could  have  had  a  horse,  as  sev- 
eral were  at  once  offered  me  by  my  men;  but 
I  could  not  be  mean  enough  to  save  my  own 
bacon  by  leaving  one  of  those  brave  fellows  be- 
hind; so  I  told  Ben  to  go  ahead  with  the  com- 
pany, keeping  a  good  look-out  for  a  horse,  and 
if  he  could  find  one,  to  send  it  back  to  me.  I 
then  shot  my  animal;  and  it  was  a  job  I  hated 
to  do,  I  tell  you,  for  he  was  as  fine  a  horse  as 


22  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

ever  stepped;  he  had  carried  me  many  a  long 
mile,  and  being  my  constant  companion  for 
almost  a  year  and  a  half,  I  had  become  very 
much  attached  to  him.  But  there  was  no  help 
for  it;  our  orders  were  strict;  and  I  shoul- 
dered my  saddle  and  marched  after  the  column, 
which  was  soon  out  of  sight. 

"I  walked  along  at  a  pretty  lively  pace, 
keeping  a  good  look-out  on  each  side  of  the 
road  for  horses,  and  now  and  then  looking  be- 
hind, half  expecting  to  see  a  squad  of  Mosby's 
cavalry  in  pursuit,  until  I  was  startled  by  the 
report  of  a  pistol  directly  in  front  of  me,  and, 
coming  suddenly  around  a  bend  in  the  road,  I 
found  Ben  sitting  beside  his  horse,  which  had 
also  given  out,  waiting  for  me  to  come  up.  As 
I  approached,  glad  enough  that  I  was  not  left 
to  find  my  way  back  to  camp  alone,  Ben  picked 
up  his  saddle,  and,  glancing  sorrowfully  at  the 
work  he  had  done,  said : 

"  'There's  an  end  of  poor  Thunderbolt — the 
best  horse  in  the  regiment.  It  has  no  doubt 
saved  him  many  a  long  scout,  but  I  never  felt 
so  sorry  for  anything  in  my  life.' 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  23 

"It  was  hard  work,  walking  along  that 
dusty  road,  carrying  our  heavy  saddles,  and 
we  anxiously  scanned  every  field  which  we 
passed,  in  hopes  that  we  should  find  some 
stray  horse ;  but  without  success.  About  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  reached  a  cross- 
road, and  then  we  knew  where  we  were.  We 
had  frequently  been  there  on  short  scouts;  so, 
without  stopping  to  keep  any  further  look- 
out for  horses,  we  quickened  our  pace,  and 
about  two  miles  further  on,  arrived  at  the  house 
of  a  lady  with  whom  we  were  well  acquainted, 
and  who,  as  we  had  always  considered  her 
loyal,  had  been  allowed  to  remain  in  undis- 
turbed possession  of  her  property,  which  our 
regiment  had  once  defended  against  Mosby's 
men.  Here  we  halted,  and  asked  the  lady  if 
she  could  furnish  us  with  some  dinner.  She  re- 
plied in  the  affirmative,  and  we  deposited  our 
saddles  in  one  corner  of  the  room,  while  the 
woman  began  to  bustle  about.  In  half  an  hour 
as  good  a  dinner  as  I  ever  tasted  in  that  part  of 
the  country  was  served  up,  and  Ben  and  I  sat 
down  to  it  with  most  ravenous  appetites.  Be- 


24  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

fore  sitting  down,  I  should  mention,  we  took 
off  our  belts,  to  which  were  fastened  our  sabers 
and  revolvers,  and  laid  them  in  the  corner  with 
our  saddles ;  a  very  foolish  trick,  as  it  afterward 
proved ;  but,  as  we  were  within  fifteen  miles  of 
camp,  we  did  not  apprehend  any  danger. 

"After  our  hostess  had  seen  us  fairly  started, 
she  said : 

'You  will  excuse  me  for  a  few  moments, 
gentlemen,  as  I  would  like  to  run  over  to  see 
my  sister,  who  is  very  sick.  Will  you  keep  an 
eye  on  the  baby?'  she  continued,  pointing  to 
the  small  specimen  of  humanity  in  question, 
which  lay  fast  asleep  in  the  cradle. 

4 Yes/  answered  Ben,  'I'll  see  to  him' ;  and 
the  woman  started  off,  leaving  us  to  finish  our 
dinner  and  attend  to  the  child. 

"She  hadn't  been  gone  two  minutes  before 
the  young  one  awoke,  and,  of  course,  began  to 
yell.  We  didn't  know  what  to  do,  for  it  was 
new  business  to  us.  After  trying  in  vain  to 
make  it  hush,  Ben  took  it  out  of  the  cradle, 
and  began  to  trot  it  up  and  down  on  his  knee. 
But  it  was  no  use,  and  he  finally  put  it  back, 


PRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  25 

determined  to  let  it  cry  until  it  got  ready  to 
stop,  when  I  happened  to  think  of  the  sugar 
bowl.  That  was  just  the  thing.  Ben  took 
good  care  to  keep  its  mouth  so  full  of  sugar 
that  it  couldn't  yell,  and  we  succeeded  in  keep- 
ing it  pretty  still. 

"In  about  half  an  hour  the  woman  re- 
turned, and,  in  reply  to  our  inquiries,  in- 
formed us  that  her  sister  was  considerably 
better,  and  she  hoped  would  be  well  in  a  few 
days.  She  then  commenced  talking  on  indif- 
ferent subjects;  and  we  finally  finished  every- 
thing on  the  table,  and  were  thinking  about 
starting  for  camp,  when  some  one  suddenly 
called  out: 

''Here!  here!  Get  up,  you  Yanks.  Get 
up  from  that  table.' 

"We  looked  up,  and  there,  standing  in  the 
doorway,  with  their  revolvers  leveled  at  our 
heads,  were  two  rebels — Colonel  Mosby  and  a 
corporal. 

'  'I've  fixed  you!'  exclaimed  the  woman 
triumphantly.  'You  didn't  think  that  while 
you  were  stealing  my  chickens,  and  abusing 


26  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

me,  that  I  would  ever  have  the  power  on  my 
side/ 

"The  old  hag  had  betrayed  us.  She  had 
invented  the  story  of  her  sick  sister,  in  order 
that  her  absence  might  not  cause  us  any  suspi- 
cions, and  had  left  the  child  for  us  to  take  care 
of,  so  that  we  should  be  obliged  to  remain 
until  she  returned.  The  story  of  stealing  her 
chickens,  and  abusing  her,  was  a  mere  pre- 
text; for  our  orders  to  respect  her  property 
were  strict,  and  we  had  not  dared  to  disobey 
them. 

:  'There's  only  one  thing  that  I  am  sorry 
for,  madam,'  said  Ben  coolly,  'and  that  is  that 
I  didn't  choke  that  young  one  of  yours.' 

'  'Come,  come,  there!'  interrupted  the 
colonel.  'Get  up  from  behind  that  table  at 
once,  or  you  are  dead  men!' 

'We're  gobbled  easy  enough,  Harry,'  said 
Ben,  in  his  usual  careless  manner,  as  we  arose 
from  our  chairs.  'Well,  I  suppose  there's  no 
help  for  it,  seeing  that  we  have  no  weapons. 
What  do  you  intend  to  do  with  a  fellow, 
Johnny?' 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  27 

'  'Take  you  direct  to  Richmond,'  was  the 
encouraging  answer,  made  by  the  corporal,  as 
he  walked  across  the  room  and  took  posses- 
sion of  our  arms.  'Come  out  here!' 

"We  had  no  other  alternative;  so  we  marched 
out  in  front  of  the  house,  our  captors  mounted 
their  horses,  and  we  trudged  along  before  them 
on  foot  toward  Centerville. 

"You  have  been  a  prisoner,  and  can  easily 
imagine  the  thoughts  that  passed  through  our 
minds.  We  saw  before  us  a  long,  fatiguing 
march,  with  hard  fare,  and  harder  treatment, 
and  the  dreaded  Libby  looming  up  in  the 
background.  But  we  were  not  allowed  much 
time  to  commune  with  our  own  thoughts,  for 
Mosby  immediately  began  to  question  us  in 
relation  to  the  forces  we  had  in  different  parts 
of  the  country.  Of  course  we  told  him  some 
of  the  most  outrageous  stories;  but  he  seemed 
to  put  some  faith  in  them;  and  when  we 
reached  the  crossroad  he  left  us,  after  order- 
ing the  corporal  to  take  us  to  Culpepper. 

"As  soon  as  the  colonel  had  got  out  of 
sight,  the  corporal  began  to  abuse  us  in  the 


28  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

worst  kind  of  a  manner,  swearing  at  us,  and 
calling  us  Abolitionists  and  the  like;  and  said 
that  if  he  could  have  his  own  way  he  would 
hang  us  on  the  nearest  tree.  We  told  him  that 
it  was  a  mean  trick  to  treat  prisoners  in  that 
way,  and  advised  him  to  keep  a  civil  tongue 
in  his  head,  as  the  tables  might  be  turned  on 
him  some  day;  but  he  paid  no  attention  to  us, 
and  kept  on  jawing,  until  finally,  just  before 
night,  we  reached  Centerville. 

"We  stopped  at  a  house  near  the  middle  of 
the  town,  where  we  were  treated  very  kindly 
by  the  people,  who  gave  us  plenty  to  eat,  but 
told  us  that  we  were  fighting  on  the  wrong 
side.  After  supper,  the  corporal  took  us  out 
to  the  barn,  where  he  proceeded  to  'go 
through'  us  pretty  thoroughly.  He  robbed 
me  of  twenty  dollars  in  greenbacks,  a  watch, 
comb,  several  letters — in  short,  he  did  not 
leave  me  anything.  After  overhauling  Ben's 
pockets,  he  ordered  him  to  'come  out  of  his 
coat,'  which  he  did  without  a  grumble;  and 
after  cutting  off  the  shoulder-straps — because 
Ben  '.wouldn't  need  'em  any  more,'  he  said — 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  29 

he  put  the  coat  on  his  own  back,  locked  the 
barn,  and  left  us  to  our  meditations.  As  soon 
as  the  sound  of  his  footsteps  had  died  away, 
I  said: 

'  'Ben,  I'm  going  to  get  out  of  here,  if  I 
can.' 

'  'All  right/  said  he ;  'feel  around  on  the 
floor  and  see  if  you  can't  find  something  to 
force  that  door  open  with.  How  I  wish  I 
had  that  young  one  here!  I  wouldn't  feed  it 
with  sugar,  I  tell  you.' 

"We  commenced  groping  about  in  the  dark- 
ness, but  not  a  thing  in  the  shape  of  a  club 
could  be  found.  Then  we  placed  our  shoul- 
ders against  the  door,  and  pressed  with  all 
our  strength ;  but  it  was  too  strong  to  be 
forced  from  its  hinges,  and  the  floor  was  so 
securely  fastened  down,  that  it  could  not  be 
pulled  up;  so,  after  working  until  we  were 
completely  exhausted,  we  sat  down  on  the 
floor  to  rest. 

'We're  in  for  it,'  said  Ben. 

'  'But  I'm  not  going  to  Libby,  now  I  tell 
you,'  I  answered.  'To-morrow  we  shall  prob- 


30  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

ably  start  for  Culpepper,  under  guard  of  that 
corporal;  and  the  very  first  chance,  I'm  going 
to  mifczle.' 

"Ben  made  no  reply,  but  I  well  knew  what 
he  was  thinking  about.  After  a  few  more 
ineffectual  attempts,  we  then  lay  down  on  the 
hard  boards,  and  tried  to  go  to  sleep ;  but  that 
was,  for  a  long  time,  out  of  the  question. 

"Our  situation  was  not  one  calculated  to 
quiet  our  feelings  much,  and  as  we  rolled  about 
the  floor,  trying  to  find  a  comfortable  posi- 
tion, I  could  hear  Ben  venting  his  spite  against 
'that  brat.'  He  did  not  seem  to  think  of  the 
woman  who  had  betrayed  us. 

"We  passed  a  most  miserable  night,  and  at 
daylight  were  awakened  with: 

'  'Come  out  here,  you  Yanks.  It's  high 
time  you  were  moving  toward  Libby.' 

"That  rascally  corporal  seemed  to  delight 
in  tormenting  us ;  but  there  was  only  one  thing 
we  could  do,  and  that  was  to  'grin  and  bear 
it.'  After  a  hasty  breakfast,  we  again  set 
out,  the  corporal  following  close  behind  us 
on  his  horse,  with  a  revolver  in  his  hand,  ready 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  31 

to  shoot  the  first  one  that  made  an  attempt  at 
escape.  We  kept  on,  stopping  only  once  or 
twice  for  water,  until  we  reached  the  Bull  Run 
bridge.  Here  the  corporal  stopped  and  called 
out: 

'  'Come  here,  one  of  you  fellers,  and  hold 
my  horse.' 

"I  did  as  he  ordered,  and  the  rebel  dis- 
mounted, bent  down  on  one  knee,  and  com- 
menced fixing  his  spur.  My  mind  was  made 
up  in  an  instant.  It  was  now  or  never.  Giv- 
ing a  yell  to  attract  Ben's  attention,  I  sprang 
at  the  rebel,  caught  him  around  the  neck,  and 
rolled  him  over  on  his  back.  He  kicked  and 
swore  furiously,  and  if  I  had  been  alone,  he 
would  most  likely  have  got  the  better  of  me; 
but  Ben,  being  close  at  hand,  caught  up  the 
revolver,  which  the  rebel  had  laid  on  the  ground 
beside  him,  and  in  a  moment  more  I  had  se- 
cured his  saber.  He  saw  that  further  re- 
sistance was  useless,  and  bawled  out: 

'  'Don't  shoot,  Yank.  Don't  shoot  me,  for 
mercy's  sakel' 


32  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

'  'Nobody's  going  to  hurt  you  if  you  behave 
yourself,'  said  Ben.  'Get  up.' 

"The  rebel  raised  himself  to  his  feet,  and  I 
at  once  began  to  'sound*  him,  as  we  call  it. 
I  got  back  my  watch,  money,  and  everything 
else  he  had  taken  from  us  the  night  before. 
We  then  ordered  him  to  travel  on  ahead  of  us, 
and,  as  Ben's  feet  were  so  badly  swollen  that 
he  could  scarcely  move,  I  told  him  to  get  on 
the  horse,  while  I  walked  along  by  his  side. 
We  passed  back  through  Centerville,  keeping 
a  good  look-out  for  rebel  scouts,  which  we 
knew  were  in  the  vicinity,  but  we  did  not  meet 
with  any  of  them  until  along  toward  night, 
when  we  heard  a  yell,  and,  looking  up,  saw 
half  a  dozen  cavalry  charging  across  the  field 
toward  us. 

'  'I  guess  we're  gobbled  again,  captain,' 
said  Ben. 

'  'Not  if  our  legs  hold  out,'  I  answered. 
'Get  down  off  that  horse,  quick.  We  must 
foot  it  now.' 

"Ben  hastily  dismounted,  and  catching  our 
prisoner  by  the  arm,  we  pulled  him  over  a 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  33 

fence,  through  the  woods,  and  into  a  swamp, 
where  we  fastened  him  to  a  tree.  We  then 
tied  a  handkerchief  over  his  mouth,  to  prevent 
him  from  making  his  whereabouts  known  to 
his  friends,  and  made  the  best  of  our  way  to 
the  camp,  which  we  reached  about  daylight. 
We  at  once  reported  to  the  colonel,  who  sent 
us  back  with  our  company  after  the  prisoner, 
but  he  was  gone.  His  friends  had  doubtless 
discovered  him,  and  released  him  from  his  un- 
pleasant situation.  The  woman  who  betrayed 
us  paid  the  penalty  of  her  treachery.  Her 
house  was  burned  over  her  head,  and  her  hus- 
band, whom  she  had  reported  to  us  as  dead, 
but  who  was  found  concealed  in  the  barn,  was 
taken  back  to  the  camp  a  prisoner." 


CHAPTER  III 

ON  DUTY  AGAIN 

BY  the  time  Harry  had  finished  his  story 
it  was  almost  sundown.  Putting  the  cabin 
in  order,  and  fastening  the  door,  the  boys  then 
started  for  home.  After  a  hearty  supper  at 
the  cottage,  different  plans  for  their  amuse- 
ment were  discussed  and  determined  upon. 
If  time  would  allow,  we  might  relate  many  in- 
teresting incidents  that  transpired  during  the 
month  they  spent  together;  how,  one  day,  the 
young  moose  ran  away  with  Uncle  Mike's 
wood  wagon  and  upset  the  boys  in  the  road. 
We  might,  among  others,  tell  of  the  hunting 
and  fishing  expeditions  that  came  off,  and  the 
trials  of  speed  that  took  place  on  the  river, 
when  the  Speedwell  showed  that  she  had  lost 
none  of  her  sailing  qualities  during  the  year 
and  a  half  that  she  had  remained  idle  in  the 

34 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  35 

shop ;  but  one  incident  that  happened  will  suf- 
fice. 

It  was  on  the  morning  of  the  last  day  that 
they  were  to  pass  together,  as  Frank's  sick- 
leave  had  expired,  and  he  must  soon  bid  adieu 
to  home  and  friends  again,  perhaps  forever. 
This  day  had  been  set  apart  for  a  fishing  ex- 
cursion; and,  bright  and  early,  Frank  was  at 
Captain  Butler's  boat-house,  where  he  found 
Harry -waiting  for  him.  When  the  bait  and 
everything  else  necessary  for  the  trip  had  been 
stowed  away  in  the  skiff,  the  boys  pulled  into 
the  river,  and  after  spending  an  hour  in  row- 
ing about  the  bass-ground,  during  which  time 
they  secured  half  a  dozen  fine  fish,  they  started 
toward  the  perch-bed,  and  anchored  outside  the 
weeds. 

Although  they  were  remarkably  successful, 
they  did  not  seem  to  enjoy  the  sport.  Frank's 
thoughts  were  constantly  dwelling  on  the  part- 
ing that  must  come  on  the  morrow.  It  could 
not  be  avoided,  for  duty  called  him;  and  al- 
though the  idea  of  disregarding  the  summons 
never  once  entered  into  his  head,  he  could  not 


36  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

help  condemning  the  circumstances  that  ren- 
dered that  call  necessary.  Harry,  on  the  other 
hand,  was  impatient  to  recover  his  health,  as 
he  wished  to  rejoin  his  command.  While  he 
was  free,  and  enjoying  the  delights  of  home, 
his  brother  was  languishing  in  a  Southern 
dungeon — held  as  a  hostage  for  a  notorious 
guerrilla,  who  had  been  sentenced  to  death — 
not  knowing  at  what  moment  he  might  be  led 
forth  to  execution.  Often,  during  the  time 
that  he  and  Frank  had  been  together,  living 
over  the  scenes  of  their  schooldays,  had 
Harry's  thoughts  wandered  to  that  brother, 
and  it  had  done  much  to  mar  the  pleasure  he 
would  otherwise  have  enjoyed.  He  imagined 
he  could  see  him,  seated  in  his  loathsome  cell, 
loaded  with  chains,  pale  and  weak  (in  conse- 
quence of  the  systematic  plan  of  starvation 
adopted  by  the  brutal  authorities  at  Richmond 
to  render  our  brave  fellows  unfit  for  further 
service,  if  they  should  chance  to  live  until  they 
were  exchanged),  but  firm  in  the  belief  that 
he  had  done  his  duty,  and  ready  at  any  mo- 
ment— for  George  was  far  from  being  a  cow- 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  37 

ard — to  be  sacrificed.  Harry's  thoughts,  we 
repeat,  often  wandered  to  the  dreaded  Libby, 
and  especially  did  they  on  this  morning.  And 
as  he  pictured  to  himself  the  treatment  that 
his  brother  was  daily  receiving  at  the  hands  of 
the  enemies  of  the  government,  is  it  to  be  won- 
dered if  he  indulged  in  feelings  of  the  deepest 
malice  toward  the  inhuman  wretches  who  could 
be  guilty  of  such  barbarity? 

"There's  only  this  about  it,  Frank,"  he  said, 
suddenly  breaking  the  silence  that  had  con- 
tinued for  half  an  hour;  "there's  only  this 
about  it:  If  one  hair  of  George's  head  is  in- 
jured, Company  'M'  of  our  regiment  never 
takes  any  more  prisoners;  and  if  I  have  no 
friendship  for  a  traitor,  neither  have  I  for 
such  men  as  these  who  are  now  approaching." 

Frank  looked  up,  and  saw  Charles  Morgan 
and  William  Gage  rowing  toward  them. 

"Here  is  the  very  spot,"  continued  Harry, 
"where  we  met  Morgan  when  you  first  be- 
came acquainted  with  him,  on  the  morning 
when  he  told  such  outrageous  stories  about 
the  fishing  there  was  in  New  York  harbor,  and 


38  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

about  his  fighting  Indians  in  the  Adirondack 
Mountains,  in  the  northern  part  of  Michigan. 
William  Gage,  you  know,  used  to  be  first  lieu- 
tenant of  the  'Midnight  Rangers.* ' 

"Yes,  I  remember  them  both,"  answered 
Frank.  "But  it  seems  to  me  that  I  heard 
some  one  say  that  Mr.  Morgan  is  a  rebel  sym- 
pathizer; and  Charley,  of  course,  not  having 
brains  enough  to  think  for  himself,  is  follow- 
ing in  his  father's  lead." 

"So  I  have  heard;  but  he  has  never  said  a 
word  against  the  government,  and  he'd  better 
not,  for  I  feel  just  like  choking  somebody 
this  morning ;  and  if  I  hate  a  rebel,  I  hold  a 
domestic  traitor  in  the  most  profound  abhor- 
rence." 

"Hullo,  boys!"  exclaimed  Charles  at  this 
moment,  coming  alongside  and  stretching  out 
a  hand  to  each  of  them,  "how  are  you?  I'm 
glad  to  see  you  back  again,  Frank.  But  why 
haven't  you  been  around  to  see  a  fellow? 
You've  kept  yourselves  very  close  since  your 
return." 

"Yes,  Harry  and  I  have  spent  most  of  our 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  39 

time  in  the  woods,"  answered  Frank.  "But 
we  part  again  to-morrow." 

"Going  back  to  your  ship,  eh?  Well,  when 
do  you  suppose  you  will  be  home  again  for 
good?" 

"I  don't  know.  If  I  live,  however,  I'm  go- 
ing to  see  this  war  settled  before  I  come  back 
to  civil  life  again." 

"You've  had  some  pretty  hard  times  since 
you  have  been  in  the  service,  from  what  I 
hear." 

"Rather  tough,"  answered  Harry. 

"Well,  now,  you  see  Bill  and  I  were  too 
sharp  to  go  into  any  such  business  as  that," 
said  Charles  knowingly.  "The  old  man  said, 
from  the  start,  that  you  never  could  whip  the 
South." 

"Well,  your  father  was  never  more  mis- 
taken in  his  life,"  answered  Frank.  "We  are 
going  to  bring  back  the  seceded  States,  if  it 
takes  every  man  and  every  dollar  at  the  North. 
But  I  don't  see  why  you  don't  volunteer.  How 
can  you  stay  at  home?" 

"Oh,  it  is  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world," 


40  FRANK  BEFORE  YICKSBURG 

answered  Charles  with  a  laugh.  "In  the  first 
place,  I  think  too  much  of  my  life;  and  then 
again,  I  don't  care  a  snap  which  whips.  I  am 
not  interested  either  way — I'm  neutral." 

"You're  no  such  thing,"  answered  Harry, 
angrily.  "You  never  saw  two  dogs  fight  in 
the  street  without  wanting  one  or  the  other  of 
them  to  whip,  and  your  sympathies  are  either 
one  way  or  the  other.  There's  no  such  thing 
as  a  neutral  in  this  war." 

"Besides,"  said  Frank,  "if  I  were  in  your 
place,  I  should  be  ashamed  to  say  that  I  was 
neutral.  But  I  hope  that  you  will  be  com- 
pelled to  go  into  the  army.  Since  you  have 
neither  the  intelligence  to  determine  which 
side  is  in  the  right,  nor  the  courage  to  fight 
for  that  side,  I  hope  that  you  will  be  drafted, 
and  that  you  can't  find  a  substitute." 

"Thank  you,"  replied  Charles  sneeringly. 
"You  are  very  kind.  But  I,  of  course,  know 
that  this  is  a  free  country,  and  a  man  has  a 
right  to  talk  as  he  pleases." 

"You  have  no  right  to  utter  treasonable 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  •*! 

sentiments,"  said  Harry;  "and  another  thing, 
I  am  not  going  to  sit  here  and  listen  to  them." 

"You  are  not,  indeed!  I  don't  see  how  you 
can  hinder  it,"  replied  Charles.  "I  say  now, 
and  it  makes  no  difference  who  hears  me,  that 
I  hope  the  South  will  whip,  unless  the  North 
will  allow  her  to  go  out  of  the  Union  peace- 
ably. I  haven't  anything  against  the  South." 

"Well,  I  have,"  answered  Harry,  scarcely 
able  to  control  himself.  "My  brother  is  now 
starving  in  a  rebel  prison." 

"I  can't  help  it.  I  have  not  the  least  sym- 
pathy for  him.  The  South  said,  at  the  com- 
mencement, that  they  only  wanted  to  be  let 
alone;  and  if  George  hasn't  any  more  sense 
than  to  meddle  with  them,  I  say,  let  him  take 
the  consequences";  and,  as  Charles  ceased 
speaking,  he  dropped  the  oars  into  the  water, 
and  was  about  to  row  off,  when  Frank  seized 
the  gunwale  of  his  boat. 

"Avast  heaving,  there,  for  a  moment,"  he 
said  quietly.  "Charley,  take  back  what  you 
have  said." 

"No,  sir,  I  sha'n't  do  it.     I  mean  what  I 


42  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

have  said,  and  I  won't  take  back  anything. 
Let  go  of  that  boat,  or  I'll  hit  you";  and  he 
raised  his  oar  as  if  to  strike  Frank. 

But  Harry  was  too  quick  for  him.  Spring- 
ing lightly  into  Charles's  skiff,  he  easily 
wrested  the  oar  from  him,  and  then,  seizing 
him  by  the  collar,  exclaimed: 

"Take  back  every  word  you  have  said,  or 
I'll  wash  some  of  the  vile  rebel  sen.timent  out 
of  you.  I'll  dump  you  overboard.  Come,  take 
it  all  back — quick!" 

"Help!  help!  Bill,"  whined  Charles,  writh- 
ing like  an  eel  in  Harry's  strong  grasp,  "are 
you  going  to  sit  there  and  see  me  abused  in 
this  manner?  Help,  I  tell  you." 

William  looked  first  at  Harry,  then  at 
Frank,  who  had  grown  exceedingly  tall  and 
muscular  since  the  last  time  he  had  measured 
strength  with  him  in  friendly  contest,  and 
made  no  reply. 

"Come,  take  it  back,"  urged  Harry. 

"No,  I  won't,"  replied  Charles,  who,  find- 
ing that  he  was  left  to  fight  his  own  battles 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  43 

alone,  now  began  to  struggle  desperately.  "I 
tell  you  I  won't  take  back  anything." 

"Then  overboard  you  go,"  said  Harry.  "I'll 
see  what  effect  cold  water  will  have  on  you"; 
and,  easily  lifting  Charles  from  his  feet,  in 
spite  of  his  struggles,  he  threw  him  headlong 
into  the  water. 

"How  is  it  now?"  he  coolly  inquired,  as 
Charles  appeared  at  the  surface,  looking  very 
forlorn,  indeed.  "Any  more  rebel  sentiment 
in  you  that  wants  washing  out?  Come  in 
here,  you  young  traitor";  and,  as  he  spoke, 
he  again  seized  him  by  the  collar,  and  drew 
him  into  the  boat. 

"Unhand  me!"  shouted  Charles,  as  soon  as 
he  could  regain  his  feet;  "I'll  fix  you  for 
this." 

"Are  you  ready  to  take  back  what  you  said?" 
demanded  Harry,  tightening  his  grasp. 

"No;  nor  shall  I  ever,"  was  the  stubborn 
answer. 

"Well,  then,  down  you  go  again." 

"No,  no,  don't  P  screamed  Charles,  who  now 


44  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

began  to  be  really  frightened.  "I  take  it  alj 
back." 

"What  do  you  take  back?"  asked  Harry. 

"I  don't  want  to  see  the  Northern  prison- 
ers all  starved." 

"Well,  what  else?" 

"I  don't  want  to  see  the  Union  destroyed." 

"Go  on;  what  next?" 

"But  I  do  wish  the  South  could  be  whipped 
to-morrow,  and  be  made  to  stay  in  the  Union." 

"Well,  now  you  are  talking  sense,"  said 
Harry,  releasing  his  hold  of  Charles's  collar. 
"Of  course,  I  know  you  don't  mean  what  you 
say,  but  I  was  bound  to  make  you  say  a  good 
word  for  the  Union  before  I  let  you  off.  I 
have  one  more  favor  to  ask  of  you,  and  then 
I  am  done.  Will  you  oblige  me  by  giving 
three  cheers  for  the  boys  who  are  fighting  our 
battles — every  day  risking  their  lives  in  de- 
fense of  the  old  flag?" 

Charles  hesitated. 

"I  sha'n't  ask  you  but  once  more,  then," 
and  here  Harry  pointed  to  the  water  in  a  very 
significant  manner. 


PRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  45 

Charles,  knowing  that  he  was  in  earnest, 
and  that  there  was  no  escape,  gave  the  re- 
quired cheers  with  as  good  a  grace  as  he  could 
command. 

"That's  right,"  said  Harry  approvingly. 
"Now  I  have  done  with  you,  and  you  can 
thank  your  lucky  stars  that  you  have  got  off 
so  easily.  If  you  had  been  in  the  army  when 
you  said  what  you  did  a  few  moments  since, 
the  boys  would  have  hung  you  to  the  very 
first  tree  they  could  have  found.  Now,  take 
my  advice,  and  don't  let  me  hear  of  your  utter- 
ing any  more  such  sentiments  as  long  as  I 
remain  in  the  village;  if  you  do,  I'll  duck  you 
as  often  as  I  can  get  my  hands  on  you." 

Harry  then  sprang  into  his  own  skiff,  and 
Charles  sullenly  picked  up  his  oars,  and 
pulled  toward  home. 

"There!"  exclaimed  Harry,  "I  feel  better 
now.  I  worked  off  a  little  of  my  indignation 
on  that  fellow.  The  rascal!  to  tell  us  that 
George  ought  to  be  starved  for  helping  to 
maintain  the  government,  and  that  he  didn't 
care  whether  the  Union  went  to  ruin  or  not. 


46  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

Now  that  I  think  of  it,  I'm  sorry  that  I  let 
him  off  so  easily." 

"He  was  pretty  well  punished,  after  all," 
said  Frank.  "It  will  have  the  effect  of  making 
him  a  little  more  careful." 

At  noon  the  fish  stopped  biting,  and  the 
boys  started  for  home.  They  parted  at  the 
boat-house,  after  Frank  had  promised  to  call 
and  say  "good-by"  before  he  left  in  the  morn- 
ing. 

When  the  latter  reached  home  he  found  his 
trunk  packed,  and  everything  in  readiness  for 
the  start,  so  that  he  had  nothing  to  do  but 
roam  about  the  premises,  and  take  a  last  look 
at  everything,  as  he  had  done  on  a  former  oc- 
casion. His  mother  and  sister  tried  to  look 
cheerful,  but  it  was  a  sorry  failure,  for  Frank 
could  easily  read  what  was  passing  in  their 
minds. 

Morning  came  at  length,  and  at  eight 
o'clock,  to  Frank's  great  relief — for  he  wished 
the  parting  over  as  soon  as  possible — he  saw 
the  carriage  approaching  which  was  to  take 
him  to  the  steamer.  A  few  embraces  and 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  47 

hastily  spoken  farewells,  and  Frank  was 
whirling  away  from  his  home.  At  Captain 
Butler's  he  stopped  for  Harry,  who  met  him 
at  the  gate  with  an  open  letter  in  his  hand; 
and,  as  he  sprang  into  the  carriage,  he  ex- 
claimed, joyfully: 

"It's  all  right,  Frank.  Here's  a  letter  from 
George.  He  has  been  exchanged,  and  is  now 
in  the  hospital  at  Washington.  The  rebels, 
he  says,  tried  to  starve  him  to  death,  but 
couldn't  make  it.  He  is  only  waiting  until  he 
gets  strong  enough  to  travel,  and  then  he's 
coming  home.  He's  pretty  well  used  up. 
When  I  get  back  to  the  army,  with  Company 
'M'  to  back  me  up,  I'll  make  somebody  smart 
for  it." 

By  the  time  Harry  had  finished  venting  his 
anger  against  the  enemies  of  the  government, 
the  carriage  reached  the  wharf,  as  the  steamer 
was  moving  out  into  the  river.  Frank  had 
just  time  to  get  on  board,  and  a  few  moments 
afterward  the  Julia  Burton  carried  him  out 
of  sight  of  the  village.  He  stopped  only  a 
short  time  at  Portland;  and  four  days  after 


48  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

leaving  that  place,  found  Archie  waiting  for 
him  as  he  sprang  off  the  train  at  Cairo.  He 
reported  to  the  fleet  captain,  who  ordered  him 
to  "take  passage  down  the  river  on  the  United 
States  dispatch  steamer  General  Lyon,"  which 
was  to  sail  at  four  o'clock  that  afternoon.  The 
cousins  passed  the  day  together.  When  four 
o'clock  came,  Archie  returned  to  his  high  stool 
with  a  sorrowful  countenance,  and  Frank 
waved  his  adieu  from  the  steamer  that  was  to 
carry  him  back — to  what?  It  is  well  that  the 
future  is  hidden  from  us,  for  Frank  would  not 
have  trod  that  deck  with  so  light  a  heart  had 
he  known  what  was  in  store  for  him. 

In  a  few  days  he  arrived  at  his  vessel,  which 
he  found  anchored  at  White  River.  Time 
makes  changes  in  everything,  and  Frank  saw 
many  new  faces  among  the  ship's  company. 
The  old  mate  was  still  on  board,  and  greeted 
him  in  his  hearty  sailor  style  as  he  came  over 
the  side.  After  he  had  reported  to  the  cap- 
tain, and  had  seen  his  luggage  taken  to  his 
room,  he  was  joined  by  one  of  his  old  mess- 
mates whose  name  was  Keys;  and  who,  in 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  49 

answer  to  Frank's  inquiry,  "How  is  every- 
thing?" proceeded  to  give  him  a  statement  of 
the  condition  of  affairs. 

"The  ship  still  floats  on  an  even  keel,"  said 
he,  pulling  off  his  boots,  and  taking  posses- 
sion of  Frank's  bed.  "The  old  man  is  as  ec- 
centric and  good-natured  as  ever,  sometimes 
flying  off  into  one  of  his  double-reefed  top- 
sail hurricanes,  which  don't  mean  anything. 
All  goes  right  about  decks,  but  you  will  find 
some  things  changed  in  the  steerage.  There 
are  only  five  officers  left  in  our  mess  that  were 
here  when  you  went  away,  and  we  have  three 
new  Johnny  master's  mates.  They  all  came 
down  in  the  same  box;  and  the  express  man 
must  have  left  them  out  in  the  damp  over 
night,  for  they  are  the  softest  fellows  I  ever 
saw.  They  must  have  been  brought  up  in 
some  country  where  such  a  thing  as  a  steam- 
boat is  unknown,  for  they  don't  know  the  star- 
board from  the  port  side  of  the  ship,  call  on 
deck  'up  stairs,'  and  the  captain's  cabin  goes 
by  the  name  of  the  'parlor.'  It  wouldn't  be  so 
bad  if  they  would  only  try  to  learn  something, 


50  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

but  they  are  very  indignant  if  any  one  under- 
takes to  volunteer  advice;  and,  besides,  they 
stand  on  their  rank." 

At  this  moment  supper  was  announced,  and 
Frank  and  his  friend  repaired  to  the  steerage, 
where  they  found  the  mates  of  whom  the  latter 
had  spoken.  While  they  were  eating,  the 
whistle  of  a  steamer  was  heard,  and  one  of  the 
new  mates  (whose  name  was  French,  but  who 
was  known  as  "Extra,"  from  the  fact  that 
he  was  perfectly  useless  as  an  officer)  ordered 
the  waiter  to  go  up  stairs  and  see  what  boat 
it  was.  The  boy  did  not  move,  for  it  was  a 
regulation  of  the  mess  that  when  there  was 
only  one  waiter  in  the  room  to  attend  to  the 
table,  he  was  not  to  be  sent  away.  Besides, 
the  mate  had  no  right  to  give  such  an  order 
without  first  obtaining  the  permission  of  the 
caterer. 

"Do  you  hear  what  I  tell  you?"  he  inquired, 
in  a  rage. 

"Mr.  French,"  said  the  caterer,  quietly,  "you 
can  find  out  the  name  of  that  boat  after  sup- 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  51 

per,  by  asking  the  officer  of  the  deck,  or  the 
quarter-master  on  watch." 

"But  I  choose  to  send  this  boy  to  find  out 
for  me,"  replied  Mr.  French.  "Come,  go  on, 
there,  and  do  as  I  tell  you,  or  I  will  see  if  you 
can  not  be  made  to  obey  the  orders  of  your 
superiors." 

"Stay  where  you  are,"  said  the  caterer,  ad- 
dressing the  waiter,  "and  don't  start  until  I 
tell  you  to."  Then,  turning  to  the  mate,  he 
continued,  "You  have  no  right  to  order  him 
to  do  any  thing  in  this  mess-room  without 
first  consulting  me." 

"I  haven't,  eh?  I  wonder  if  this  darkey 
ranks  me?  My  appointment  reads  that  I  'am 
to  be  obeyed  by  all  persons  under  me  in  this 
squadron.' ' 

"That  boy  is  not  subject  to  your  orders,  as 
long  as  I  am  in  the  mess-room." 

"Well,  I  shall  take  pains  to  inform  myself 
on  that  point.  I'll  ask  the  captain." 

"Do  so,"  said  the  caterer,  quietly;  "and  if 
you  don't  get  the  worst  raking-down  that  you 


52  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

have  had  since  you  have  been  on  board  this 
vessel,  then  I  am  greatly  mistaken." 

The  mate  made  no  reply,  but,  after  he  had 
finished  his  supper,  went  on  deck. 

"Now,  Frank,"  whispered  Keys,  "just  come 
with  me  and  I  will  show  you  some  fun." 

Frank,  always  read}7  for  any  mischief,  fol- 
lowed his  companion  on  deck,  where  they 
found  Mr.  French  in  animated  conversation 
with  his  two  friends. 

"See  here,  French,"  said  Keys,  approach- 
ing the  latter  in  a  confidential  manner,  "are 
you  going  to  put  up  with  such  abuse  as  you 
received  from  that  caterer?" 

"I'd  see,  if  I  were  in  your  place,  whether 
or  not  I  had  authority  to  command  my  in- 
feriors," chimed  in  Frank. 

"Certainly,  so  would  I,"  said  Keys.  "Go 
and  report  the  matter  to  the  old  man." 

"That  caterer  ought  to  be  brought  down  a 
peg  or  two,"  said  Frank. 

"Well,"  said  the  mate,  "I  know  that  I  have 
got  the  right  on  my  side;  but  I'm  afraid,  if  I 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  53 

report  the  matter,  the  captain  will  give  me  a 
blowing  up." 

"O,  that's  only  one  of  that  caterer's 
stories,"  said  Keys,  contemptuously.  "You 
see  he's  afraid  you  will  report  him,  and  he  told 
you  what  he  did  to  frighten  you.  Every  body 
on  board  the  ship  is  trying  to  run  down  us 
mates;  they  don't  seem  to  care  a  fig  for  our 
orders;  even  the  men  laugh  at  us,  and  the 
sooner  they  find  out  that  we  have  some  au- 
thority here,  the  better  it  will  be  for  us.  I 
wish  I  had  as  good  a  chance  as  you  have;  I'd 
report  the  whole  matter." 

"I  believe  I  will  report  it,"  said  the  mate, 
encouraged  by  the  sincere  manner  in  which 
Mr.  Keys  and  Frank  spoke.  "I  can't  have  a 
man  trample  on  my  authority,  when  it  comes 
from  the  admiral.  Is  the  captain  in  the  par- 
lor?" 

"Yes,"  answered  Frank,  making  use  of  his 
handkerchief  to  conceal  his  laughter;  "I  saw 
him  go  in  there  just  a  moment  since." 

The  mate  accordingly  walked  aft,  and  with- 
out waiting  to  speak  to  the  orderly,  who  stood 


54  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

at  the  gangway,  he  opened  the  door  without 
knocking,  and  entered  the  cabin. 

As  soon  as  he  had  disappeared,  Frank  and 
his  companion  ran  on  to  the  quarter-deck,  and 
took  a  position  at  a  grating  directly  over  the 
captain's  cabin,  where  they  could  hear  all  that 
went  on  below. 

"My  eyes!"  whispered  Keys;  "I  wouldn't 
be  in  Extra's  boots  for  the  whole  squadron. 
Won't  he  get  his  rations  stuffed  into  him?" 

The  captain,  who  was  at  supper,  looked  up 
in  surprise,  as  Mr.  French  entered  unan- 
nounced ;  and,  after  regarding  him  sharply  for 
a  moment,  said: 

"Well,  sir!" 

"I  came  here,  sir,"  began  the  mate,  "to  tell 
you" 

"Take  off  your  cap,  sir!"  vociferated  the 
captain. 

The  mate,  not  in  the  least  embarrassed,  did 
as  he  was  ordered,  and  again  commenced: 

"I  came  here,  sir" 

"Do  you  know  what  that  marine  is  stand- 
ing out  there  for?"  again  interrupted  the  cap- 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  55 

tain.  "If  you  don't,  your  first  hard  work  will 
be  to  go  to  the  executive  officer  and  find  out. 
Now,  don't  you  again  ever  come  into  my  cabin 
in  this  abrupt  manner.  Always  send  in  your 
name  by  the  orderly.  It  seems  impossible  to 
teach  you  any  thing.  But  what  were  you  going 
to  say?" 

"I  came  here,  sir,"  began  the  mate  again, 
"to  see  if  I  have  any  authority  to  com- 
mand my  inferiors  in  rank.  My  appointment 
says" 

"O,  hang  your  appointment!"  shouted  the 
captain.  "Come  to  the  point  at  once." 

"Well,  sir,  while  at  supper,  I  ordered  our 
steward  to  go  up  stairs  and  execute  a  commis- 
sion for  me,  and  he  wouldn't  go." 

"Are  you  caterer  of  your  mess?" 

"No,  sir." 

"Then,  sir,  allow  me  to  inform  you  that  you 
have  no  more  authority  over  those  waiters  in 
that  mess-room  than  you  have  to  break  open 
my  trunk  and  take  out  my  money.  If  you 
should  need  the  services  of  one  of  the  boys,  go 
to  the  caterer  and  get  his  consent.  But  I  wish 


56  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

you  would  try  and  learn  something.  You 
have  been  on  board  this  ship  now  three  weeks, 
and  are  of  no  more  use  than  an  extra  boiler. 
Go  to  somebody  else  in  future  with  your  foolish 
complaints.  You  may  go,  sir." 

The  mate  left  the  cabin,  feeling  very  cheap, 
and  wondering  what  was  the  use  of  having 
any  rank,  if  he  couldn't  use  it,  and  more  than 
half  inclined  to  believe  that  the  captain  had  no 
right  to  address  him  in  so  rude  a  manner. 

"Well,  what  did  the  old  man  say?"  in- 
quired Keys,  who,  with  Frank,  had  hurried 
forward  to  meet  him  at  the  gangway. 

"He  says  he  will  fix  it  all  right,"  replied 
Mr.  French,  averting  his  face,  for  he  knew  that 
he  was  uttering  a  falsehood.  "I  knew  I  would 
get  satisfaction." 

So  saying,  he  walked  off,  shaking  his  head 
in  a  very  knowing  manner,  while  the  two 
friends  retreated  to  the  steerage,  where  they 
gave  full  vent  to  their  feelings.  The  circum- 
stance was  related  to  the  caterer,  who  came 
in  a  few  moments  afterward,  and  after  enjoy- 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  57 

ing   a  hearty   laugh   at   the   mate's   expense, 
Frank  retired  to  his  room  and  turned  in. 

About  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  a  steamer 
came  down  and  reported  that  a  regiment  of 
rebels  had  posted  themselves  behind  the  levee 
at  Cypress  Bend,  and  were  holding  the  posi- 
tion in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  three  gun-boats 
to  dislodge  them,  rendering  navigation  impos- 
sible. The  matter  was  reported  to  the  cap- 
tain, who,  after  making  himself  acquainted 
with  the  facts,  ordered  the  Ticonderoga  to  be 
got  under  way  and  headed  up  the  river. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  FIGHT  IN  THE  WOODS 

ON  the  next  day  they  arrived  at  Cypress 
Bend,  where  they  found  three  "tin-clads" 
anchored,  paying  no  attention  to  the  perfect 
storm  of  bullets  which  the  concealed  rebels 
rained  upon  their  decks  from  behind  the  levee. 
As  soon  as  the  Ticonderoga  came  within  range, 
the  guerrillas  directed  a  volley  against  her; 
but,  although  her  decks  were  crowded  with 
men,  the  fire  was  without  effect.  The  boat- 
swain's whistle,  and  the  order,  "All  hands 
under  cover,"  rang  sharply  through  the  ship, 
and  the  decks  were  instantly  deserted.  The 
second  division — the  one  which  Frank  com- 
manded— was  at  once  called  to  quarters,  and 
as  soon  as  the  gun  could  be  cast  loose  and 
pointed,  an  eleven-inch  shell  went  shrieking 
into  the  woods.  It  burst  far  beyond  the  levee. 

58 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  59 

The  rebels  sent  back  a  taunting  laugh,  and 
their  bullets  fell  faster  than  ever. 

The  levee  which  lines  both  banks  of  the 
Mississippi  forms  a  most  excellent  breastwork ; 
and  behind  this,  a  party  of  determined  men 
can  easily  hold  twice  their  number  at  bay, 
unless  a  position  can  be  obtained  where  they 
can  be  brought  under  a  cross-fire.  The  forma- 
tion of  the  river  rendered  it  impossible  for 
such  a  position  to  be  taken,  and  it  was  evident 
that  to  anchor  before  the  levee  and  attempt  to 
dislodge  them  with  big  guns,  was  worse  than 
useless ;  neither  could  they  be  beaten  back  with 
their  own  weapons,  for  the  rebels  were  very 
expert  in  "bushwhacking,"  exposing  but  a  very 
small  portion  of  their  persons,  and  the  best 
marksman  would  stand  but  a  poor  chance  of 
hitting  one  of  them.  Some  more  decisive  steps 
must  be  taken. 

So  thought  the  captain  of  the  Ticonderoga, 
as  he  paced  up  and  down  the  turret,  while 
Frank,  divested  of  his  coat,  was  issuing  his 
commands  with  his  usual  coolness,  now  and 
then  catching  hold  of  a  rope  and  giving  a  pull 


60  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

at  the  gun,  all  the  while  sending  the  shells 
into  the  levee,  making  the  dirt  fly  in  every 
direction. 

"Cease  firing,  Mr.  Nelson,"  said  the  cap- 
tain, at  length.  "It  is  useless  to  think  of  driv- 
ing them  off  in  this  manner." 

"Cease  firing,  sir,"  repeated  Frank,  showing 
that  he  understood  the  order.  "Run  the  gun 
in,  lads,  and  close  those  ports." 

The  captain  then  ordered  his  vessel  to  be  run 
alongside  of  the  Rover,  (one  of  the  tin-clads,) 
and,  after  a  few  moments'  consultation  with 
her  commander,  some  plan  seemed  to  have 
been  determined  upon,  for  Frank  was  again 
ordered  to  open  a  hot  fire  on  the  levee.  Under 
cover  of  this,  signal  was  made  for  the  other 
two  vessels  to  get  under  way,  and  proceed 
down  the  river. 

"Mr.  Nelson,"  said  the  captain,  as  soon  as 
he  had  seen  the  signal  obeyed,  "give  the  com- 
mand of  your  division  to  the  executive  officer, 
and  come  down  into  the  cabin  for  orders." 

As  soon  as  the  executive  could  be  found, 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  61 

Frank  gave  up  the  command  to  him,  and  as  he 
entered  the  cabin,  the  captain  said  to  him: 

"I  have  ordered  the  tin-clads  to  go  down 
the  river  and  land  as  many  men  as  they  can 
spare,  to  get  around  in  the  rear  of  those  rebels, 
and  get  them  out  from  behind  that  levee. 
They  must  be  got  out  of  that,  if  possible,  for 
navigation  is  virtually  closed  as  long  as  they 
remain  there.  I  shall  also  send  our  two  howit- 
zers and  forty  men,  of  which  you  will  take 
command.  I  need  not  tell  you  to  do  your 
best." 

The  captain  then  went  on  deck,  selected 
the  men,  and  Frank  succeeded  in  getting  them 
and  the  howitzers  safely  on  board  the  Rover, 
which  still  lay  alongside.  The  smoke  from 
the  gun  of  the  Ticonderoga  completely  con- 
cealed their  movements,  and  the  rebels  were 
entirely  ignorant  of  what  was  going  on.  As 
soon  as  the  men  were  all  on  board,  the  Rover 
steamed  down  the  river  and  joined  the  other 
vessels,  which  were  waiting  for  her  to  come 
up. 

About  five  miles  below  was  a  point  which 


62  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

completely  concealed  them  from  the  view  of 
the  rebels,  and  behind  this  point  the  vessels 
landed;  the  crews  disembarked,  and  com- 
menced marching  through  the  woods  toward 
the  place  where  the  rebels  were  posted.  They 
numbered  two  hundred  and  fifty  men,  and 
were  commanded  by  the  captain  of  the  Rover, 
who,  although  a  very  brave  man  and  an  ex- 
cellent sailor,  knew  nothing  of  infantry  tac- 
tics. The  second  in  command  was  Mr.  Howe, 
an  ensign  belonging  to  the  same  vessel.  He 
had  never  been  in  a  fight;  and  when  he  first 
entered  the  navy  he  knew  no  more  about  a 
vessel  than  he  did  about  the  moon.  His  ap- 
pointment had  been  obtained  through  some  in- 
fluential friends  at  home.  He  had  served  in 
a  company  of  state  militia,  however,  before 
the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  and  considered 
himself  quite  a  military  genius. 

The  sailors  marched  in  line  of  battle — with 
skirmishers  in  front  and  on  each  flank,  and 
Frank,  with  his  battery,  was  in  the  center.  In 
this  manner  they  marched  for  about  an  hour, 
and  then  a  halt  was  ordered,  and  the  captain, 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  63 

with  several  of  his  officers,  went  forward  to 
reconnoiter,  while  Mr.  Howe,  who  was  left 
in  command,  ordered  the  men  to  "stack  arms.'* 
Frank  was  astounded  when  he  heard  this  com- 
mand, and,  approaching  the  officer,  saluted 
him,  and  said: 

"I  object  to  this,  Mr.  Howe.  I  think  it 
would  be  much  better,  sir,  to  keep  the  men  un- 
der arms ;  for  it  is  by  no  means  certain  that  all 
the  rebels  we  shall  be  obliged  to  fight,  are  in 
front  of  us." 

"I  believe  you  were  put  in  command  of  that 
battery,  sir,"  replied  Mr.  Howe,  haughtily, 
"while  I  was  left  in  charge  of  these  men.  I 
would  thank  you,  then,  to  attend  to  your  own 
business,  and  to  let  me  alone." 

"Very  good,  sir,"  answered  Frank.  "I  did 
not  intend  to  give  any  offense,  sir,  but  merely 
to  offer  a  suggestion.  But  if  I  command  that 
battery,  I  intend  to  have  it  in  readiness  for  any 
emergency.  Cut  loose  those  guns,  lads,  and 
stand  to  your  quarters!" 

The  reports  of  muskets  in  their  front  proved 
that  the  rebels  were  yet  keeping  a  hot  fire  di- 


rected  against  the  Ticonderoga.  But  still 
Frank  was  not  deceived;  he  knew  that  all  the 
fighting  would  not  be  done  at  the  front. 
Scarcely  had  these  thoughts  passed  through 
his  mind,  when  there  was  a  rapid  discharge  of 
fire-arms  in  their  rear,  and  two  of  the  men 
fell.  As  Frank  had  expected,  the  rebels  had 
been  informed  of  what  was  going  on,  and  had 
sent  part  of  their  force  to  cut  the  sailors  off 
from  the  river.  For  a  moment  the  greatest 
confusion  prevailed.  The  men,  who  had  been 
lying  about  in  the  shade  of  the  trees,  made  a 
general  rush  for  their  weapons,  and  after 
delivering  a  straggling  and  ineffectual  fire, 
hastily  retreated,  with  the  exception  of  Frank's 
men,  and  a  few  of  the  more  courageous  of  the 
infantry.  The  latter  concealed  themselves  be- 
hind trees  and  logs,  and  deliberately  returned 
the  fire  of  the  rebels,  while  the  former,  who 
were  old  seamen,  and  had  long  been  accus- 
tomed to  the  discipline  of  the  service,  stood  at 
their  guns  awaiting  orders.  Mr.  Howe,  for  a 
moment,  stood  pale  and  trembling,  and  then, 
without  waiting  to  give  any  orders,  disap- 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  65 

peared  in  the  bushes.  Frank,  who  was  left 
alone  with  but  sixty  men,  was  astounded  when 
he  witnessed  this  cowardly  conduct  of  his 
superior,  and  he  had  hardly  time  to  recover 
from  his  surprise,  when  the  rebels,  after  firing 
another  volley,  broke  from  their  concealments, 
with  loud  yells,  and  charged  toward  the  guns. 
This  brought  Frank  to  his  senses.  With  the 
handful  of  men  he  had  left,  he  could  at  least 
cover  the  retreat  of  his  timid  support. 

"Steady  there,  lads!"  he  shouted.  "Aim 
low — fire!" 

The  howitzers  belched  forth  their  contents, 
and,  as  Frank  had  taken  the  precaution  to  have 
them  loaded  with  canister,  the  slaughter  was 
awful.  The  muskets  had  also  done  consider- 
able execution,  and  the  rebels  recoiled  when 
they  witnessed  the  havoc  made  in  their  ranks. 
Frank,  who  was  always  ready  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  such  an  opportunity,  immediately 
ordered  a  counter-charge.  The  sailors  sprang 
at  the  word,  with  a  yell,  and,  led  by  Frank, 
who  fixed  his  bayonet  as  he  ran,  threw  them- 
selves upon  the  rebels,  who  at  once  fled  pre- 


66  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

cipitately,  leaving  their  dead  and  wounded  on 
the  field. 

"Back  to  your  guns,  lads,"  shouted  Frank, 
"and  give  'em  a  shot  before  they  get  out  of 
range." 

The  men  worked  with  a  yell,  sending  the 
shells  rapidly  in  the  direction  in  which  the 
rebels  had  retreated,  until  a  loud  roar  of  mus- 
ketry at  the  front  told  them  that  they  had 
other  enemies  with  which  to  deal. 

While  this  fight  at  the  rear  had  been  going 
on,  the  sailors  who  had  retreated  had  been  met 
by  the  captain  and  his  officers,  who  were  re- 
turning from  their  reconnoissance,  and,  as 
soon  as  order  could  be  restored,  an  attack  had 
been  made  on  the  rebels  who  were  still  posted 
behind  the  levee.  In  a  few  moments  Mr.  Howe 
came  running  up,  and  addressing  himself  to 
Frank,  exclaimed: 

"What  are  you  doing  here,  sir — shooting 
into  the  woods  where  there  are  no  rebels? 
Why  are  you  not  at  the  front,  where  you  be- 
long £  If  you  are  afraid  to  go  there,  you  had 
better  give  up  the  command  of  that  battery." 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG          67 

Frank  thought  that  this  was  a  nice  way  for 
Mr.  Howe  to  talk,  after  the  manner  in  which 
he  had  behaved  a  few  moments  before,  but, 
without  stopping  to  reply,  he  ordered  the  guns 
to  be  secured,  and  the  men,  catching  up  the 
trail-ropes,  commenced  dragging  the  battery 
toward  the  place  where  the  fight  was  raging, 
while  Mr.  Howe  again  suddenly  disappeared. 

When  Frank  arrived  at  the  front,  he  found 
the  rebels  were  still  behind  the  levee,  where 
they  were  exposed  to  galling  fire  from  the 
sailors  who  were  concealed  among  the  trees, 
evidently  preferring  to  run  the  risk  of  being 
driven  out  by  the  musketry  than  to  brave  the 
shells  from  the  Ticonderoga,  which  now  began 
to  fall  into  the  woods  just  behind  them,  and 
bursting,  threw  dirt  and  branches  in  every 
direction.  Without  waiting  for  orders,  Frank 
immediately  took  up  a  sheltered  position,  and 
straightway  opened  upon  the  rebels  a  hot  fire 
of  canister.  By  the  exertions  of  the  officers, 
the  stragglers  were  all  collected,  and,  while 
the  line  was  being  formed  for  a  charge,  Frank 
was  ordered  to  move  his  battery  out  of  the 


68  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

woods,  into  the  open  field.  The  young  officer's 
blood  ran  cold  when  he  heard  this  command, 
for  the  rebels,  who  greatly  outnumbered  the 
sailors,  and  who  were  deterred  from  making 
a  charge  and  overpowering  them  only  through 
fear  of  the  shells  from  the  Ticonderoga,  were 
sending  a  perfect  shower  of  bullets  into  the 
bushes  where  the  howitzers  were  stationed. 
Even  in  his  present  protected  position,  Frank 
had  lost  five  of  his  men,  and  when  he  thought 
what  a  slaughter  there  would  be  when  he 
should  move  out  of  his  concealment,  it  made 
him  shudder.  But  he  had  always  been  taught 
that  the  success  of  the  navy  was  owing  to 
"strict  discipline ;"  and  once,  when  he  had  been 
reported  to  the  captain  for  disobeying  an  order 
which  he  had  considered  as  unjust,  that  gen- 
tleman had  told  him — "Always  obey  whatever 
orders  you  may  receive  from  your  superiors, 
and,  if  you  are  aggrieved,  you  can  seek  redress 
afterward."  In  the  present  instance,  this 
seemed  very  poor  policy ;  for  what  good  would 
it  do  to  make  objections  to  the  order  after  his 
men  had  been  sacrificed?  He  had  no  alterna- 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  69 

tive,  however,  but  to  obey.  The  men,  too,  were 
well  aware  of  the  danger  they  were  about  to 
incur,  but  hesitated  not  a  moment  when  Frank 
repeated  the  order  to  advance.  They  at  once 
pushed  the  guns  out  into  the  open  ground, 
and  the  effect  was  as  they  had  expected.  The 
whole  fire  of  the  rebels  was  directed  against 
them,  and  every  volley  left  Frank  with  less 
men  to  handle  his  battery.  In  fact,  it  soon 
became  impossible  to  load  the  guns;  for,  as 
fast  as  the  men  picked  up  a  rammer  or  sponge, 
they  were  shot  down.  It  was  evident  that  they 
could  not  remain  there. 

"Jack,"  said  Frank  at  length,  turning  to 
the  old  boatswain's  mate,  "go  and  ask  the  cap- 
tain if  I  can't  be  allowed  to  move  back  to  my 
old  position.  I  can  do  more  execution  there. 
Besides,  we'll  all  be  dead  men  in  less  than  five 
minutes,  if  we  remain  here." 

The  man  bounded  off  to  execute  the  order, 
and  just  then  the  captain  of  one  of  the  guns 
was  killed.  Frank  immediately  seized  the 
priming-wire  which  had  fallen  from  his  hand, 
and  worked  with  the  rest.  His  fear  had  given 


70  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

place  to  a  reckless  determination  to  do  his 
duty,  for,  let  the  consequences  be  what  they 
might,  no  blame  could  be  attached  to  him.  Im- 
patiently, however,  he  waited  for  the  return 
of  the  mate,  and  his  impatience  increased  when 
word  was  brought  him  that  the  ammunition  was 
failing.  At  length,  after  a  delay  which  seemed 
extraordinary,  a  charge  was  ordered. 

The  rebels  seemed  to  have  an  idea  of  what 
was  going  on,  for,  a  few  moments  before  the 
order  was  given,  their  fire  slackened  consider- 
ably; but,  as  soon  as  the  sailors,  in  obedience 
to  the  command  issued  from  the  woods,  they 
were  met  with  a  terrific  fire,  which  threw  them 
into  confusion.  In  vain  their  officers  urged 
and  commanded;  the  men  refused  to  advance, 
but  remained  standing  in  full  view  of  the 
rebels,  while  every  moment  their  comrades 
were  falling  around  them.  At  length  the 
enemy  made  a  counter-charge,  and  the  sailors, 
without  waiting  to  resist,  broke  and  fled  in 
every  direction.  Frank  and  his  men  remained 
at  their  posts  until  the  last  moment;  but  they 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  71 

soon  found  themselves  completely  deserted, 
and  were  obliged  to  fall  back  into  the  woods. 

By  the  exertions  of  the  officers,  a  few  of  the 
men  were  rallied  in  the  edge  of  the  timber, 
and,  bravely  standing  their  ground,  the  rebels 
were  met  with  a  murderous  fire,  and  the  shells 
from  the  Ticonderoga,  which  now  began  to 
burst  in  their  very  midst,  completed  their  con- 
fusion, and  they,  in  turn,  were  compelled  to 
retreat. 

In  an  instant,  Frank  and  several  of  his  men 
sprang  out  and  attempted  to  recover  the 
howitzers  which  had  been  left  between  the  lines, 
but  the  rebels  were  on  the  watch,  and,  after 
the  loss  of  three  of  his  men,  he  was  obliged  to 
order  a  retreat.  For  two  hours  a  severe  fight 
was  maintained,  the  rebels  making  several 
charges,  which  were  easily  repulsed  by  the 
sailors;  and  each  time  Frank  made  unsuccess- 
ful attempts  to  recover  his  battery,  but  was  as 
often  compelled  to  retreat,  leaving  some  of 
his  men  dead  on  the  field,  or  prisoners  in  the 
hands  of  the  enemy. 

The  left  of  the  line  rested  on  the  bank  of  the. 


72  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

river,  where  a  full  view  of  the  Ticonderoga 
could  be  obtained.  After  the  fight  had  raged 
nearly  three  hours,  without  any  advantage 
being  gained  on  either  side,  one  of  the  men 
reported  that  the  ship  was  making  signals. 
The  commander  of  the  expedition  hurried 
along  the  line,  calling  out — 

"Mr.  Howe!  Where's  the  signal  officer, 
Mr.  Howe?"  But  he  received  no  answer.  No 
one  had  seen  Mr.  Howe  since  he  had  so  in- 
gloriously  retreated  at  the  commencement  of 
the  fight. 

"Pass  the  word  along  the  line  for  Mr. 
Howe !"  shouted  the  captain. 

The  order  was  obeyed,  and  finally  a  faint 
voice,  some  distance  in  the  rear,  replied,  "Here, 
sir." 

"What  are  you  doing  there,  sir?"  demanded 
the  captain,  in  a  voice  of  thunder.  "Why  are 
you  not  at  your  post?  Get  out  there  with  your 
flag,  and  answer  the  Ticonderoga's  signals." 
And  the  captain  began  to  consult  his  signal- 
book. 

Mr.  Howe  looked  first  at  the  rebels,  then  at 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG          73 

the  captain,  then  down  at  the  flag  which  he 
held  in  his  hand,  but  he  did  not  move.  It  was  a 
dangerous  undertaking;  for,  in  answering  the 
signals,  he  would  be  obliged  to  stand  on  the 
bank  of  the  river,  where  there  was  nothing  but 
bushes  to  protect  him,  and  where  the  rebels 
would  be  certain  to  see  him;  but  the  rattling 
of  the  musketry,  the  sharp  whistle  of  the  bullets 
as  they  flew  thickly  about  among  the  trees,  and 
the  roar  of  the  Ticonderoga's  guns — sounds 
which  he  had  never  before  heard — so  worked 
upon  the  imagination  of  the  terrified  man,  that 
the  danger  seemed  tenfold  worse  than  it  really 
was. 

In  a  few  moments  the  captain  had  made  out 
the  signal,  which  was,  "How  do  you  succeed?" 
and  exclaimed : 

"Mr.  Howe,  make  the  answer  that  we  don't 
succeed  at  all — no  advantage  on  either  side; 
that  our  ammunition  is  getting  scarce;  and 

that .  Why  don't  you  start,  sir?"  he 

shouted,  seeing  that  Mr.  Howe  did  not  move. 

"Captain,"  faltered  the  man,  in  a  scarcely 


74  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

audible  voice,  "I  should  be  very  happy,  sir; 
very  glad,  indeed,  sir;  but — ,  but — 

"No  remarks,  sir,  but  do  as  you  are  ordered, 
instantly." 

"Really,  captain,  I — ,  I — " 

The  man  could  go  no  further,  but  stood 
trembling  like  a  leaf,  with  the  utmost  terror 
depicted  in  every  feature. 

"You're  a  coward,  sir!"  shouted  the  cap- 
tain, in  a  terrible  rage — "a  mean,  contemptible 
coward." 

"I  know  it,  sir,"  replied  the  man,  so  terri- 
fied that  he  scarcely  knew  what  he  was  saying; 
"but  the  fact  is"- 

"Go  to  the  rear!"  shouted  the  captain,  "and 
stay  there.  Here,  sir,"  he  continued,  turning 
to  Frank,  who  happened  to  be  the  nearest  offi- 
cer, "can  you  make  those  signals?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  Frank,  promptly.  His 
face  was  very  pale,  for,  accustomed  as  he  was 
to  the  noise  and  confusion  of  battle,  he  well 
knew  there  was  danger  in  the  step  he  was  about 
to  take.  But  his  features  expressed  determina- 
tion instead  of  betraying  terror.  His  duty 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  75 

must  be  done,  whatever  the  consequences  might 
be;  and  hastily  picking  up  the  flag  which  Mr. 
Howe,  in  his  fright,  had  dropped,  he  sprang 
out  in  view  of  the  Ticonderoga,  made  the  re- 
quired signals,  and  retreated  in  safety.  The 
rebels  had  seen  the  flag  waving  above  the 
bushes,  and  had  directed  a  hot  fire  against  it, 
but,  although  his  frail  protection  was  riddled 
with  bullets,  Frank  escaped  unhurt. 

In  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  during  which  time 
the  fire  was  warmly  sustained  by  both  parties, 
the  Ticonderoga  again  made  signals,  ordering 
the  captain  of  the  expedition  to  make  the  best 
of  his  way  back  to  his  vessels.  Frank  an- 
swered the  signal,  and  again  retreated  in 
safety. 

The  word  had  already  been  passed  along  the 
line  to  fall  back  slowly,  when  Frank,  approach- 
ing the  captain,  said: 

"I  do  not  wish  to  go  back  to  the  ship  with- 
out my  battery,  sir.  Will  you  give  me  men 
enough  to  recover  it?" 

"No,  sir;  I  can't  send  any  one  out  there  to 
be  shot  at.  It  is  certain  death,  sir/5 


76  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

Frank,  who  thought  that  the  captain  had 
suddenly  grown  very  careful  of  his  men,  made 
no  reply,  but  hastened  back  to  the  spot  where 
he  had  left  his  battery.  To  his  joy  and  sur- 
prise he  found  one  of  the  howitzers  safe  in  the 
hands  of  his  men;  and,  as  he  came  up,  a  shell 
went  crashing  toward  the  rebel  line,  followed 
by  a  triumphant  shout  from  the  sailors.  The 
boatswain's  mate,  who  had  managed  to  secure 
the  gun,  by  throwing  a  rope  around  the  trail- 
wheel,  was  endeavoring,  in  the  same  manner, 
to  obtain  possession  of  the  other.  After  a  few 
ineffectual  attempts,  he  succeeded,  and  the 
gun  was  pulled  back  safely  into  the  bushes. 
When  they  had  secured  the  remainder  of  the 
ammunition,  the  men  caught  up  the  trail- 
ropes,  and,  without  delay,  Frank  took  his  old 
position  in  the  center  of  the  retreating  line. 
The  rebels  followed  them  so  closely  that  the 
sailors  were  frequently  compelled  to  halt  and 
drive  them  back.  During  one  of  these  halts, 
the  captain  of  the  expedition  was  killed.  As 
if  my  magic,  Mr.  Howe  appeared  on  the  scene, 
and,  without  waiting  to  recover  the  body  of 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  77 

his  officer,  gave  the  command  to  fall  back  more 
rapidly.  At  length,  just  before  they  reached 
the  bank  where  they  had  disembarked,  the 
ammunition  for  the  howitzers  being  exhausted, 
Frank  requested  permission  to  retreat  still 
more  rapidly,  and  get  his  guns  on  board  the 
nearest  vessel. 

"That  request  is  in  perfect  keeping  with 
your  conduct  during  the  fight,"  returned  Mr. 
Howe,  sneeringly.  "The  plea  of  saving  your 
battery  is  a  very  handy  one;  but  if  you  are 
afraid  to  remain  here  with  us,  you  may  rim 
as  fast  as  you  wish.  I'd  be  ashamed  to  hold 
up  my  head  after  this,  if  I  were  in  your  place." 

"I  am  not  afraid  to  remain  here,  sir,"  an- 
swered Frank,  with  a  good  deal  of  spirit; 
"and  if  you  say  that  I  have  acted  the  part  of 
a  coward  during  this  fight,  I  defy  you  to  prove 
the  charge.  The  idea  that  I  am  afraid,  be- 
cause I  wish  to  retreat  in  order  to  save  my 
battery,  is  absurd.  Run  those  guns  along 
lively,  lads." 

Frank  succeeded  in  getting  his  howitzers 
on  board  one  of  the  tin-clads,  which  still  lay 


78  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

alongside  of  the  bank,  without  the  loss  of  an- 
other man.  A  moment  afterward  the  sailors 
came  pouring  down  the  bank.  As  soon  as  they 
were  all  on  board,  the  vessels  moved  out  into 
the  stream,  and  commenced  shelling  the  woods. 
While  thus  engaged,  the  Ticonderoga  came 
down  the  river ;  and,  after  dropping  her  anchor, 
signaled  for  the  officer  in  command  of  the 
expedition  to  repair  on  board.  Mr.  Howe  at 
once  put  off  in  a  boat  to  obey  the  order,  while 
the  vessel  in  which  Frank  had  taken  refuge 
ran  alongside  of  the  Ticonderoga,  and  as  soon 
as  the  battery  had  been  taken  off,  the  men, 
covered  with  dust  and  blood,  and  their  faces 
begrimed  with  powder,  stood  silently  around 
the  guns,  while  the  remainder  of  the  crew 
gathered  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  deck,  and 
regarded  their  comrades  with  sorrow  depicted 
in  every  feature  of  their  sun-burnt  faces. 
Frank  knew  that  the  fight  had  been  a  most 
desperate  one,  and  that  he  had  lost  many  of 
his  men ;  but  he  could  scarcely  believe  his  eyes, 
when  he  found  that  out  of  the  forty  brave  fel- 
lows who  had  started  out  with  him  in  the  morn- 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  79 

ing,  but  fifteen  remained — more  than  half  had 
been  left  dead  on  the  field,  or  prisoners  in  the 
hands  of  the  rebels. 

In  a  scarcely  audible  voice  he  called  the  roll, 
and  his  emotion  increased  when,  at  almost 
every  third  name,  some  one  answered: 

"Not  here,  sir." 

In  a  few  moments  the  captain  appeared  on 
deck.  The  report  of  the  commander  of  the  ex- 
pedition had,  of  course,  been  unfavorable,  and 
the  captain's  face  wore  a  look  of  trouble. 
Hastily  running  his  eye  over  the  line  of  dusty, 
bleeding  men  that  stood  before  him,  he  said, 
in  a  low  voice,  as  if  talking  to  himself: 

"Only  fifteen  left.  I  could  ill  afford  to  lose 
so  many  men.  You  may  go  below,  lads.  Doc- 
tor, see  that  the  very  best  care  is  taken  of  the 
wounded." 

After  delivering  this  order,  the  captain,  who 
was  evidently  ill  at  ease,  turned  and  walked 
down  into  his  cabin. 


CHAPTER  V 


IN  THE  HANDS  OF  THE  "jOHNNIES"  AGAIN 


As  soon  as  the  men  had  disappeared,  Frank, 
with  a  heavy  heart,  repaired  to  his  room  to 
dress  for  supper.  He  thought  over  all  the 
little  incidents  of  the  day,  and  frequently  de- 
tected himself  in  saying:  "Only  fifteen  men 
left;  fifteen  out  of  forty!" 

What  a  slaughter — a  useless  slaughter — 
there  had  been!  And  all  had  been  occasioned 
by  the  ignorance  of  the  commanding  officer  of 
the  expedition.  Had  Frank  been  allowed  to 
retain  the  sheltered  position  which  he  had  at 
first  taken  up,  the  result  would  have  been  far 
different.  And  how  had  he  escaped  without 
even  a  scratch?  He  had  stood  beside  his  men 
during  the  whole  of  the  fight — freely  exposing 
himself,  and,  rendered  conspicuous  by  his  uni- 
form, had  signaled  the  vessel  twice;  and  each 

80 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  81 

time  the  flag  had  been  riddled  by  bullets,  but 
not  a  shot  had  touched  him!  It  seemed  but 
little  short  of  a  miracle  that  he  had  come  off 
unscathed,  when  so  many  men  had  fallen 
around  him. 

He  was  interrupted  in  his  meditations  by 
the  entrance  of  the  orderly,  who  informed  him 
that  his  presence  was  wanted  in  the  cabin. 
Frank  hastily  pulled  on  his  coat  and  repaired 
thither.  As  he  entered,  the  captain  said: 

"Take  a  chair,  Mr.  Nelson.  I  wish  to  have 
a  few  moments'  serious  conversation  with  you." 

Frank,  surprised  at  the  captain's  tone  and 
manner,  seated  himself,  and  the  latter  con- 
tinued : 

"Are  you  aware,  sir,  that  you  have  this  day 
destroyed  all  the  confidence  I  have  hitherto 
placed  in  you,  and  have  rendered  yourself 
liable  to  severe  punishment?" 

The  effect  of  this  question,  so  abruptly  put, 
was  astounding,  and  Frank  could  only  falter: 

"Sir?    I — I — don't  understand  you,  sir." 

"Mr.  Nelson,  I  am  surprised  at  you,  sir," 
said  the  captain,  sternly.  "I  shall  have  to 


82  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

refresh  your  memory,  then.  You  have  this 
day  been  guilty  of  misdemeanors,  any  one  of 
which  renders  you  liable  to  a  court-martial, 
and  to  a  disgraceful  dismissal  from  the  service. 
In  the  first  place,  you  have  shown  gross  dis- 
respect to  your  superior  officer,  and" 

"I  guilty  of  disrespect,  sir!"  repeated 
Frank,  scarcely  believing  his  ears.  "There 
must  be  some  mistake,  sir,  for" 

"Don't  interrupt  me,  sir.  I  repeat,  you 
have  been  guilty  of  disrespect  to  your  superior 
officer,  and  of  cowardice,  having  been  found 
with  your  battery  far  in  the  rear  at  a  time 
when  your  services  were  very  much  needed  at 
the  front;  and  then,  after  the  fight  had  fairly 
commenced,  as  if  waking  up  to  a  sense  of  your 
duty,  and,  no  doubt,  wishing  to  make  amends 
for  what  you  had  done,  you,  contrary  to 
orders,  recklessly  exposed  your  men,  and,  as  a 
consequence,  out  of  forty  of  the  bravest  fel- 
lows that  ever  trod  a  ship's  deck — which  were 
placed  under  your  command  this  morning— 
you  had  but  fifteen  left  when  you  returned  on 
board.  The  energy  displayed  by  you  in  work- 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  83 

ing  your  battery,  and  the  manner  in  which 
you  obtained  possession  of  it,  after  you  moved 
out  from  your  sheltered  position,  and  had  been 
compelled  to  retreat,  were  feats  of  which  any 
officer  might  be  justly  proud,  and  which  I 
should  have  been  most  happy  to  reward  with 
your  promotion,  had  you  not  spoiled  every- 
thing by  your  infamous  conduct  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  fight.  Hitherto,  since  you 
have  been  on  board  this  ship,  you  have  been  a 
good  officer,  have  always  attended  to  your 
duties,  and  it  pains  me  to  be  obliged  to  talk 
to  you  in  this  manner.  I  never  thought  that 
you,  after  what  you  did  at  Cypress  Bend, 
while  you  were  on  board  of  the  Milwaukee, 
would  ever  have  been  guilty  of  such  misde- 
meanors. However,  as  your  conduct  hereto- 
fore has  always  been  such  as  I  could  approve, 
I  shall  see  that  no  charges  are  made  against 
you;  and  I  sincerely  hope  that  what  you  have 
learned  to-day  will  be  a  lesson  that  you  will 
never  forget.  I  shall  give  you  sufficient  op- 
portunities to  make  amends  for  what  you  have 
done,  and  I  shall  commence  by  sending  you 


.'it  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

ashore  with  a  flag  of  truce,  to  ask  permission 
of  the  rebels  to  bury  our  dead.  You  may  start 
at  once,  sir." 

This  was  a  hint  that  his  presence  in  the 
cabin  was  no  longer  desirable,  and  Frank,  who, 
in  his  confusion  and  bewilderment,  scarcely 
knew  what  he  was  doing,  made  his  best  bow  and 
retired. 

What  his  feelings  were  as  he  listened  to 
this  reprimand,  administered  by  the  captain, 
who  never  before  had  spoken  a  harsh  word  to 
him,  it  is  impossible  to  describe.  He  again 
thought  over  every  thing  he  had  done  during 
the  fight;  how  he  had,  at  the  commencement 
of  the  action,  beaten  back  the  rebels,  with  a 
mere  handful  of  men;  how  he  had,  in  obedi- 
ence to  orders,  taken  the  exposed  position 
where  he  had  lost  so  many  of  his  gun's  crew, 
and  which  he  had  held  in  spite  of  the  storm 
of  bullets  that  rained  around  him,  until  the 
whole  line  had  been  compelled  to  ^  retreat,  and 
he  was  left  unsupported;  how  he  had  twice 
risked  his  life  in  signaling  the  ship;  and  how, 
when  the  retreat  was  ordered,  he  had  brought 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  85 

back  his  guns  in  safety:  he  thought  of  all 
these  things,  and  wondered  where  the  charge 
of  cowardice  could  be  brought  in.  And  then, 
when  and  how  had  he  been  guilty  of  disrespect 
to  his  superior  officer?  Certainly  not  in  re- 
monstrating against  ordering  the  men  to  stack 
their  arms,  for  that  was  a  privilege  to  which 
he,  as  one  of  the  commanding  officers  of  the 
expedition,  was  entitled.  In  regard  to  reck- 
lessly exposing  his  men,  the  case  was  not  quite 
so  clear.  It  was  true  that,  in  the  beginning 
of  the  fight,  he  had  ordered  a  charge  upon  the 
rebels,  who  greatly  outnumbered  his  own  men, 
and  had  easily  driven  them,  without  loss  to 
himself:  perhaps  it  was  there  that  the  third 
charge  had  been  brought  in.  But  although 
he  was  conscious  that  he  had  endeavored  to  do 
his  whole  duty,  the  words  of  the  captain  had 
cut  him  to  the  quick.  It  had  been  an  unlucky 
day  for  him.  The  expedition  had  proved  a 
failure,  and  he  had  been  accused  of  misde- 
meanors of  which  he  had  never  dreamed.  It, 
seemed  as  if  fate  was  against  him. 

"I  believe,  as  Archie  used  to  say,"  he  solilo- 


86  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

quized,  "that  I  am  the  unluckiest  dog  in  exist- 
ence. Troubles  never  come  singly." 

"The  captain  wishes  to  see  you,  sir,"  said 
one  of  the  men,  stepping  up  and  interrupting 
his  meditations. 

"All  right,"  answered  Frank,  who  was  so 
completely  absorbed  in  his  reverie  that  he  was 
entirely  unconscious  of  what  was  going  on 
around  him;  "call  all  hands  to  quarters  im- 
mediately." 

"Sir — I — I  don't  mean — sir — the  captain 
wishes  to  speak  with  you,  sir,"  repeated  the 
sailor,  half  inclined  to  believe  that  Frank  was 
getting  crazy.  This  aroused  the  young  officer 
to  a  sense  of  his  situation;  as  he  approached 
the  quarter-deck,  where  the  captain  was  stand- 
ing, the  latter  said: 

"Mr.  Nelson,  do  you  intend  to  go  ashore 
with  that  flag  of  truce,  sir?" 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,"  faltered  Frank, 
"I  forgot  all  about  that.  Will  you  have  the 
kindness  to  call  away  the  first  cutter?"  he  con- 
tinued, approaching  the  quarter-master,  and 
saluting  him  as  the  officer  of  the  deck. 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  87 

"Mr.  Nelson,"  shouted  the  captain,  "what 
are  you  doing?  Are  you  crazy,  sir?" 

"I  believe  I  am,  captain,  or  pretty  near  it," 
answered  Frank.  "The  charges  that  have  been 
brought  against  me  have  well-nigh  upset  me. 
They  are  false,  sir,  and  I  don't  deserve  the 
reprimand  I  have  received." 

In  his  next  attempt  to  find  the  officer  of  the 
deck  Frank  met  with  more  success.  While 
the  cutter  was  being  manned,  he  ran  down  into 
the  steerage,  and  seizing  a  pen,  hastily  dashed 
off  the  following : 

UNITED  STATES  STEAMER  TICONDEROGA, 

OFF  CYPRESS  BEND,  Oct.  30,  1863. 
SIR: 

Having  been  reported,  by  the  officer  in  com- 
mand of  an  expedition — sent  ashore  this  day 
for  the  purpose  of  dislodging  a  body  of  rebels 
posted  behind  the  levee — for  cowardice,  disre- 
spect to  my  superior  officer,  and  for  recklessly 
exposing  my  men  to  the  fire  of  the  rebels,  and 
knowing,  sir,  that  these  charges  are  utterly 
groundless,  I  respectfully  request  that  a  Court 


88  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

of  Inquiry  may  be  convened  to  examine  into 
my  behavior  while  under  the  enemy's  fire. 
I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully 

Your  obedient  servant, 

FRANK  NELSON, 
Acting  Master's  Mate. 

Acting  Rear- Admiral  D.  D.  PORTER,  U.  S.  N., 
Commanding  Miss.  Squadron. 

While  he  was  sealing  the  envelope  the  mes- 
senger boy  entered  and  reported  the  cutter 
ready.  Frank  ran  on  deck,  and,  after  giving 
the  communication  to  the  captain,  with  a  re- 
quest that  it  might  be  approved  and  forwarded 
to  the  Admiral,  he  sprang  into  the  boat,  and 
gave  the  order  to  shove  off. 

The  old  boatswain's  mate,  who  was  acting 
as  the  coxswain  of  the  cutter,  had  rigged  up  a 
flag  of  truce.  As  they  pulled  toward  the  shore, 
Frank  waved  this  above  his  head  until  he 
elicited  a  similar  response  from  the  bank ;  then, 
throwing  down  the  flag,  he  seated  himself  in 
the  stern  sheets,  and  covered  his  face  with  his 
hands.  The  old  mate,  mistaking  his  emotion 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  89 

for  sorrow  at  the  death  of  so  many  of  his  men, 
said: 

"Yes,  it  is  a  hard  case.  Not  a  few  of  us 
are  left  without  our  chums;  but  we  all  know 
it  wasn't  your  fault.  There  would  have  been 
more  of  us  left  if  you  had  been  allowed  to  have 
your  own  way." 

"Then  I  did  not  expose  you  needlessly,  did 
I,  Jack?" 

"Why,  bless  you,  no,  sir.  Who  says  you 
did,  sir?"  inquired  one  of  the  crew. 

"But  tell  me  one  thing,  Jack,"  said  Frank, 
his  face  still  covered  with  his  hands,  "Am  I 
a  coward?" 

"No,  sir,"  answered  the  mate,  indignantly; 
'  'cause  if  you  was,  you  wouldn't  have  held  on 
to  them  guns  as  long  as  you  did,  and  you  would 
not  have  pitched  into  that  rebel  atween  the 
lines  as  you  did  a  year  ago,  at  this  very  place. 
In  course  you  ain't  no  coward." 

This  was  some  consolation.  The  men  whom 
he  commanded,  and  who  had  always  cheer- 
fully followed  where  he  had  dared  to  lead, 
thought  very  differently  from  the  man  who 


90  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

had  retreated  almost  before  the  fight  had  com- 
menced, and  who,  to  screen  himself,  had 
brought  those  charges  against  one  whose  con- 
duct had  always  been  above  reproach. 

"Yes,  as  you  say,  it  is  a  hard  case,  Jack," 
said  Frank,  uncovering  his  face,  and  glancing 
toward  the  rebels  who  thronged  the  levee.  "It 
is  a  hard  case,  indeed,  but  I  will  come  out  at 
the  top  of  the  heap  yet." 

"What's  the  matter,  sir?"  inquired  the  mate. 
"Any  one  been  wrongin'  you,  sir?  He'd  better 
not  show  his  ugly  figure-head  when  what's  left 
of  the  first  division  has  shore  liberty.  We'll 
douse  his  top-lights  for  him." 

By  this  time  the  cutter  had  reached  the 
shore,  and  Frank,  taking  the  flag  of  truce, 
sprang  out,  and  walked  up  the  bank  to  where 
a  group  of  officers  was  standing. 

"Wai,  Yank,  what  do  you  want  now?"  in- 
quired a  man  dressed  in  the  uniform  of  a 
colonel. 

How  Frank  started  when  he  heard  that 
voice.  Could  he  be  mistaken?  He  had  cer- 
tainly heard  it  before,  and  he  remembered  the 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  91 

time  when  it  had  given  an  order  which  still 
rang  in  his  ears:  "Stiles,  you  stay  here  until 
this  man  dies."  He  looked  at  the  men,  some 
of  whom  were  lying  on  the  ground  about  the 
levee,  and  others  standing  at  a  little  distance, 
waiting  to  hear  what  was  going  to  be  the  result 
of  the  interview,  and  what  had  at  first  ap- 
peared a  vague  suspicion,  now  forced  itself 
upon  Frank  as  a  dread  reality.  He  was  in 
the  presence  of  Colonel  Harrison  and  the 
Louisiana  Wild-cats.  Nothing  but  a  bold 
front  could  save  him,  for  he  knew  that  these 
men  paid  very  little  respect  to  a  flag  of  truce, 
unless  it  was  likely  to  further  their  own  in- 
terests ;  and  if  he  should  be  recognized,  his  re- 
capture was  certain,  and  then,  what  would 
be  his  fate?  Would  not  summary  vengeance 
be  taken  upon  him,  in  retaliation  for  the  man- 
ner in  which  he  had  treated  the  sentinel  on 
the  night  of  his  escape,  and  the  way  he  had 
served  the  man  who  had  overtaken  him  in  the 
woods?  Brave  as  Frank  was,  and  accustomed 
as  he  had  become  to  look  danger  in  the  face,  he 


92  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

could  not  but  regard  his  situation  as  critical 
in  the  extreme. 

"What  did  you  say  your  business  was, 
Yank?"  inquired  the  colonel  again. 

"I  wish  to  see  the  commanding  officer,"  said 
Frank,  steadily  meeting  the  rebel's  searching 
glance.  "I  wish  permission  to  bury  our  dead." 

"Well,  that's  a  fair  request,"  said  the 
colonel,  carelessly.  "I  don't  know  as  I  have 
any  objection  to  it.  Want  your  prisoners 
also?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  Frank,  with  a  smile. 
"I  should  like  to  take  them  back  to  the  ship 
with  me.  But  you  know  that  I  have  none  to 
exchange  for  them." 

"That's  what  I  thought.  I  couldn't  afford 
to  give  your  men  back  for  nothing." 

"I  didn't  suppose  you  would.  But  have  we 
your  permission  to  come  ashore  and  bury  our 
dead?"  inquired  Frank,  who  was  anxious  to 
bring  the  interview  to  an  end. 

"Yes,"  answered  the  colonel,  "and  we  will 
leave  the  field  in  your  possession.  You  will 
send  that  message  by  one  of  your  men,  for  I 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  93 

don't  think,  youngster,  that  you  can  go  back. 
If  I  am  not  much  mistaken,  I've  got  a  better 
right  to  you  than  any  one  else." 

"Yes,  colonel,"  shouted  one  of  the  men,  "I'll 
be  dog-gone  if  I  didn't  think  he  was  the  chap 
that  give  us  the  slip  at  Shreveport." 

"I  didn't  think  I  could  be  mistaken,"  said 
the  colonel.  "So,  youngster,  just  consider 
yourself  a  prisoner." 

"What  do  you  mean,  sir?  You  have  no 
claim  whatever  upon  me,  and  never  had!"  ex- 
claimed Frank,  indignantly.  "I  am  acting  in 
obedience  to  orders,  and  am  under  the  protec- 
tion of  this  flag  of  truce." 

"Very  well  spoken.  But  what  do  you  sup- 
pose we  care  for  that  dish-rag?  Besides,  I  say 
we  have  a  good  claim  upon  you,  for  you  have 
never  been  exchanged.  Here,  Jim !"  he  shout- 
ed to  one  of  his  men,  "put  this  little  Yank  with 
the  rest,  and  don't  give  him  a  chance  to  get 
away  this  time." 

The  man  advanced  to  obey  the  order,  and 
when  he  came  up  to  the  place  where  Frank  was 


94  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

standing,  he  seized  him  by  the  hair  and  shook 
him  until  every  tooth  in  his  head  rattled. 

"Avast  heavin'  there,  you  land-lubber!" 
shouted  the  mate,  who  until  this  time  had  re- 
mained in  the  boat  with  the  crew ;  and,  spring- 
ing ashore,  he  ran  up  the  bank,  and  with  one 
blow  of  his  fist  felled  the  rebel  to  the  ground. 

"Here  we  have  it,"  said  the  colonel,  who, 
instead  of  defending  Frank,  seemed  to  con- 
sider the  manner  in  which  he  was  treated  a 
good  joke.  "Boys,  secure  this  blue- jacket 
also." 

"No,  you  don't,  Johnny!"  exclaimed  the 
mate,  as  one  of  the  men  sprang  forward  to 
seize  him.  "If  you  think  that  one  of  you  is  as 
good  as  five  Yankee  sailors,  now  is  your  chance 
to  try  it  on.  It'll  take  more'n  one  of  you  to 
put  the  bracelets  on  me;"  and,  as  he  spoke,  he 
planted  another  of  his  tremendous  blows  in  the 
face  of  the  advancing  rebel,  which  lifted  him 
completely  off  his  feet.  But  before  he  had  time 
to  repeat  it,  he  was  overpowered  by  half  a 
dozen  rebels,  who  had  run  to  the  assistance  of 
their  comrade.  After  a  hard  struggle,  he  was 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  95 

secured,  and  his  hands  were  bound  behind  his 
back. 

"Now,  you  fellows,"  said  the  colonel,  ad- 
dressing himself  to  the  men  in  the  boat,  "get 
back  to  your  vessel;  tell  the  captain  how  mat- 
ters stand,  and  also  that  he  may  come  ashore 
and  bury  his  dead  as  soon  as  he  chooses." 

"Tell  the  first  division,"  said  the  mate, 
"that  the  next  time  they  go  into  action  they 
must  give  one  shot  for  Jack  Waters.  If  you 
fellers  don't  pay  for  this,"  he  continued,  turn- 
ing to  the  rebels,  "then  blast  my  to'-gallant 
top-lights." 

"Tell  the  captain,"  chimed  in  Frank,  "that 
he  had  better  not  trust  these  men  again,  for 
they  are  not  sufficiently  civilized  to  know  what 
a  flag  of  truce  is." 

"You  are  very  complimentary,  young  man, 
to  say  the  least,"  said  a  rebel,  who  was  stand- 
ing near  the  colonel. 

"I  am  telling  the  plain  truth,"  answered 
Frank,  "and  you  will  find  that  your  barbarous 
mode  of  warfare  will  never  succeed;  and  that 
the  crew  of  that  vessel  will  never  allow  the 


96  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

mean  action  of  which  you  have  been  guilty  to 
pass  unnoticed." 

"Douse  my  top-lights,  but  that's  the  truth," 
said  the  mate,  making  an  effort  with  his  con- 
fined hands  to  salute  his  officer. 

"See  that  these  prisoners  are  well  secured," 
said  the  colonel,  "and  be  sure  and  take  special 
care  of  that  youngster,  for  if  you  allow  him  the 
least  chance,  he'll  escape;"  and  the  colonel 
turned  on  his  heel  and  walked  away. 

In  obedience  to  these  instructions,  Frank 
and  the  mate  were  delivered  into  the  charge 
of  a  sergeant,  who  at  once  conducted  them  to- 
ward the  place  where  the  prisoners  which  had 
been  taken  during  the  fight  were  confined 
under  guard.  As  they  passed  along  through 
the  rebels,  they  were  insulted  at  every  step, 
and  finally  a  man  drew  his  ramrod  out  of  his 
gun,  and  seizing  Frank  by  the  collar,  proceeded 
to  give  him  a  severe  thrashing.  Frank  imme- 
diately appealed  to  the  sergeant,  who,  instead 
of  offering  to  defend  him,  stood  at  a  little  dis- 
tance, watching  the  operation,  as  if  not  at  all 
concerned.  The  mate  was  fairly  beside  himself 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  97 

with  rage,  and  struggled  desperately  to  free  his 
hands,  all  the  while  venting  his  anger  by  "dous- 
ing" his  "top-lights"  and  "shivering"  his  own 
"timbers."  The  rebel  continued  his  punish- 
ment amid  the  cheers  of  his  companions,  and 
at  every  stroke  of  his  ramrod  he  exclaimed: 
"Shot  the  best  blood-hound  in  Louisiana,  did 
ye!  Stick  a  bayonet  into  young  Davis,  won't 
ye!"  until  Frank,  smarting  with  the  pain,  de- 
termined to  defend  himself. 

"Unhand  me,  you  scoundrel!"  he  shouted; 
"I've  had  just  about  enough  of  this."  Turn- 
ing fiercely  upon  his  persecutor,  he  snatched 
the  ramrod  from  his  hand,  and  commenced 
laying  it  over  his  head  and  shoulders.  The 
rebel,  after  trying  in  vain  to  defend  himself, 
retreated  precipitately,  amid  the  jeers  of  his 
comrades,  and  shouts  of  derision  from  the 
mate.  The  sergeant  here  thought  it  time  to 
interfere,  and  Frank  and  the  mate  were  not 
again  molested. 


AN  OLD  ACQUAINTANCE 

THEY  found  that  the  rebels  had  captured 
nearly  twenty  of  their  men,  several  of  them 
badly  wounded,  and,  as  there  was  no  surgeon 
with  the  enemy,  the  poor  fellows  were  suffer- 
ing intensely.  Frank  shuddered  when  he 
thought  of  the  inhuman  treatment  to  which  his 
wounded  companions  had  been  subjected  by 
the  very  men  in  whose  power  they  now  were, 
on  the  march  from  Vicksburg  to  Shreveport; 
and  he  knew,  from  the  scenes  through  which 
he  had  just  passed,  that  the  Wild-cats  had  not 
grown  more  lenient  in  their  treatment  of  those 
who  were  so  unfortunate  as  to  fall  into  their 
power.  As  soon  as  they  were  placed  under 
guard,  Jack's  hands  were  unbound,  and  he 
seated  himself  on  the  ground  beside  his  officer, 
in  no  very  amiable  mood. 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG  99 

"It  isn't  for  myself  that  I  care,  sir,"  said 
he;  "but  I  am  afraid  that  the  treatment  you 
will  receive  will  be  a  heap  worse  nor  keel- 
haulin'  on  a  cold  winter's  mornin'." 

"Don't  talk  so  loud,  Jack,"  whispered 
Frank,  glancing  toward  the  guard,  who  was 
walking  his  beat  but  a  short  distance  from 
them.  "I've  been  in  just  such  scrapes  as  this 
before,  and  I'm  not  going  to  be  strung  up. 
If  they  give  me  the  least  chance  for  life,  I'm 
going  to  take  advantage  of  it." 

"There  comes  a  boat  from  the  ship,  sir," 
said  the  mate.  "If  we  could  only  give  them 
the  slip  now." 

"No,  sit  still;  we  are  watched  too  closely; 
wait  until  to-night." 

In  a  short  time  the  cutter  reached  the  shore, 
and  an  officer,  whom  they  recognized  as  the 
gunner,  sprang  out  with  a  flag  of  truce  in  his 
hand.  He  walked  straight  up  to  Colonel  Har- 
rison. After  a  short  conversation  with  that 
individual,  he  handed  him  a  letter,  and,  ac- 
companied by  a  rebel  officer,  approached  the 
place  where  Frank  was  sitting. 


100         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

"Well,  old  fellow,"  he  said,  as  he  came  up, 
"I'm  sorry  to  see  you  in  this  fix.  But  I've  got 
good  news  for  you.  The  colonel  has  given  me 
permission  to  inform  you  that  you  will  be  well 
treated  as  long  as  you  remain  a  prisoner.  You 
see,  we  happen  to  have  a  prisoner  who  be- 
longs to  this  regiment  on  board  the  flag-ship, 
and  the  captain  is  going  to  ask  the  admiral 
to  exchange  him  for  you.  So  keep  a  stiff  upper 
lip.  Don't  think  of  trying  to  escape,  and  we 
shall  see  you  on  board  of  the  ship  again  in 
less  than  a  week.  Good-by." 

Frank  and  the  mate  shook  hands  with  the 
gunner,  who  walked  back  to  the  place  where 
he  had  left  his  men,  and  set  them  to  work  col- 
lecting and  burying  the  dead. 

After  considerable  trouble,  an  agreement 
was  entered  into  between  Captain  Wilson  and 
the  colonel,  and  all  the  prisoners,  with  the 
exception  of  Frank  and  the  mate,  were  paroled 
and  allowed  to  return  on  board  the  vessel, 
after  which  the  Wild-cats  mounted  their 
horses  and  commenced  marching  back  into  the 
country.  While  the  fight  had  been  raging, 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         101 

their  horses  were  safely  hidden  in  the  woods, 
out  of  range  of  the  Ticonderoga's  guns;  and 
when  they  were  brought  out,  Frank,  although 
he  had  not  seen  either  a  dead  or  wounded  rebel, 
was  able  to  judge  pretty  accurately  of  the  num- 
ber that  had  been  disabled  in  the  struggle,  by 
counting  the  empty  saddles.  What  had  been 
done  with  the  dead  and  wounded  he  could  not 
ascertain ;  but  the  probability  was,  that  the  lat- 
ter had  been  carried  on  in  advance  of  the  main 
body  of  the  regiment,  and  the  former  hastily 
buried  on  the  field.  The  prisoners  were  each 
given  a  horse,  and  Frank  was  a  good  deal  sur- 
prised to  find  that,  although  the  mate  was  close- 
ly watched,  scarcely  any  attention  was  paid  to 
himself ;  his  captors,  no  doubt,  thinking  that  he 
would  prefer  waiting  to  be  exchanged,  rather 
than  run  the  risk  of  the  punishment  that  had 
been  threatened  in  case  he  was  detected  in  any 
attempt  at  escape.  He  was  given  to  under- 
stand that  it  was  useless  to  think  of  flight,  for 
he  would  certainly  be  recaptured,  even  if  he 
succeeded  in  getting  outside  of  the  pickets, 
and  that  he  would  be  shot  down  without  mercy. 


102         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

But  Frank,  who  well  knew  that  the  rebels 
would  not  willingly  lose  an  opportunity  of  re- 
gaining one  of  their  officers,  was  not  at  all  in- 
timidated by  these  threats;  and,  as  he  had  not 
bound  himself  to  remain  a  passive  prisoner,  he 
commenced  laying  his  plans  for  escape,  intend- 
ing to  put  them  into  operation  at  the  very  first 
opportunity  which  offered. 

Just  before  dark  the  column  halted  in  front 
of  a  plantation,  and  commenced  making  its 
camp  on  each  side  of  the  road.  While  the  men 
were  making  their  preparations  for  the  night, 
the  colonel,  who  evidently  preferred  more  com- 
fortable quarters  than  could  be  found  in  the 
open  air,  repaired  to  the  house,  where  he  was 
cordially  greeted  by  its  inmates. 

Frank  and  the  mate  lay  down  on  the  ground 
by  the  side  of  the  road,  and  were  talking  over 
the  incidents  of  the  day,  when  a  dashing  young 
lieutenant  .stepped  up,  and  inquired: 

"Yanks,  don't  you  want  something  to  eat? 
Come  into  our  mess;  we  want  to  talk  to  you. 
I'll  hold  myself  responsible  for  their  safe  re- 
turn," he  continued,  turning  to  the  guard. 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         103 

This  individual,  after  a  few  moments'  con- 
sideration, concluded  that  the  "Yanks  could 
pass,"  and  the  prisoners  followed  the  lieuten- 
ant to  the  place  where  the  members  of  the  mess 
to  which  he  belonged  were  seated  on  the 
ground,  eating  their  suppers. 

"Sit  down,  Yanks,  at  the  very  first  good 
place  you  can  find,"  said  their  host.  "Our 
chairs  have  been  sent  on  board  one  of  your 
gun-boats  to  be  repaired,  and  the  sofa  hasn't 
come  in  yet.  Do  you  ever  have  as  good  a  sup- 
per as  this  on  board  your  men-o'-war?" 

"O  yes,"  replied  Frank,  glancing  at  the 
different  dishes  that  were  scattered  about  over 
the  ground,  which  contained  corn-bread  just 
raked  out  from  the  ashes,  salt  pork,  onions, 
and  boiled  chicken,  the  latter  evidently  the 
fruits  of  a  raid  on  some  well-stocked  hen-roost. 
"Oh  yes,  we  live  very  well  on  board  our  boats. 
There  is  nothing  to  hinder  us,  if  we  have  a 
caterer  worth  a  cent." 

"Where  do  you  get  your  grub?"  asked  the 
lieutenant.  "We  steal  every  thing  along  the 
shore  that  we  can  lay  our  hands  on,  just  to 


104         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

keep  it  away  from  you,  and  there  are  no  pro- 
visions at  the  North." 

"Well,  you  need  not  believe  any  such  story 
as  that,"  answered  Frank,  who  could  not  help 
laughing  outright  at  the  idea  of  the  people  at 
the  North  having  no  provisions  to  spare.  "I 
never  knew  a  gun-boat  to  be  short  of  rations, 
except  down  the  Yazoo  Pass." 

"Well,  then,  some  of  our  folks  tell  what  is 
not  the  truth,"  said  one  of  the  officers,  who 
had  not  yet  spoken.  "But,  to  change  the  sub- 
ject, how  many  men  did  you  lose  in  the  action 
to-day?" 

"I  am  not  able  to  tell,"  replied  Frank.  "I 
see  that  you  have  taken  good  care  to  hide  your 
loss.  I  haven't  seen  a  single  wounded  man 
since  I  have  been  with  you,  and  I  know  I  saw 
several  drop  during  the  fight." 

"Yes,  we  did  lose  a  few  men,"  said  the  lieu- 
tenant; "how  many,  you  will  never  know. 
But,  to  change  the  subject  again,  what  did  you 
come  down  here  to  fight  us  for?" 

"Now,  see  here,"  said  Frank,  setting  down 
his  plate,  which  had  been  plentifully  supplied 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         105 

by  the  lieutenant,  "y°u  were  kind  enough  to 
ask  me  here  to  get  some  supper,  and  I  don't 
want  to  spoil  a  good  meal  by  entering  into  a 
political  discussion;  for,  if  I  answer  your 
question,  I  shall  tell  you  some  pretty  plain 
things,  and  I  know  you  will  get  provoked  at 
me." 

"O  no,  we  are  not  as  unreasonable  as  that," 
replied  the  man.  "Answer  my  question." 

"Well,  then,"  said  Frank,  "I  will  make  the 
same  reply  as  I  once  did  to  that  question  in 
the  prison  at  Shreveport.  It  is  this:  I  believe 
that  if  ever  there  was  a  lot  of  men  in  the  world 
who  need  a  good,  sound  thrashing,  you  rebels 
do." 

"That's  the  truth,  sir,"  said  Jack,  talking  as 
plainly  as  a  mouthful  of  salt  pork  would  per- 
mit. "Stand  up  for  the  old  flag,  sir." 

The  discussion  thus  commenced  was  main- 
tained for  an  hour,  the  rebels  evincing  the 
utmost  ignorance  in  regard  to  the  principles 
for  which  they  were  fighting;  and  the  manner 
in  which  Frank  knocked  their  flimsy  argu- 
ments right  and  left,  and  the  fearlessness  with 


106         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

which  he  upheld  the  course  the  government 
has  pursued,  and  predicted  the  speedy  over- 
throw of  the  rebellion,  excited  their  respect 
and  admiration. 

At  length  bedtime  came,  and  just  as 
Frank  and  the  mate  were  about  to  be  con- 
ducted back  to  the  guard,  Colonel  Harrison, 
accompanied  by  two  ladies  and  a  strange  of- 
ficer, walked  up. 

"Here,  Yank,"  he  exclaimed,  addressing 
Frank,  "here's  an  old  acquaintance  of  yours. 
Come  here." 

As  Frank  obeyed  the  order,  the  strange 
officer  advanced  to  meet  him,  and  he  recog- 
nized Lieutenant  Somers.  He  was  not  at  all 
pleased  to  see  him,  for  the  lieutenant,  doubt- 
less, had  not  forgotten  the  circumstances  con- 
nected with  his  capture,  and  although  he  could 
not  remember  of  ever  having  treated  him 
badly,  still  he  feared  he  might  harbor  some 
feelings  of  malice,  and  might  see  fit  to  take 
a  summary  revenge  upon  him.  To  his  sur- 
prise, however,  the  rebel  eagerly  advanced  to 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         107 

meet  him,  and,  extending  his  hand,  greeted  him 
with: 

"How  are  you,  Nelson?  You're  in  a  fix,  I 
see.  I  am  the  free  man  now,  and  you  the  pris- 
oner." 

"Yes,"  answered  Frank,  "I'm  in  for  it  again. 
Although  I  was  captured  in  violation  of  all 
the  rules  of  war,  I  suppose  I  must  submit  to  it 
for  awhile." 

The  lieutenant  passed  nearly  an  hour  in 
conversation  with  him,  talking  over  all  the 
little  incidents  that  had  happened  while  he 
was  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of  Frank  and  his 
fellow-fugitives,  and  was  compelled  to  pilot 
them  through  the  country,  and  ended  by  say- 
ing: 

"Although  you  were  sometimes  obliged  to 
use  me  rather  roughly,  you  did  the  best  you 
could  under  the  circumstances,  and  I  shall 
let  you  see  that  I  don't  forget  favors.  I'll 
speak  to  the  colonel,  and  get  him  to  furnish 
you  with  quarters  at  the  plantation  to-night." 

The  lieutenant  then  left  them,  and  shortly 
afterward  a  corporal  and  his  guard  came  up, 


108         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

and  conducted  Frank  and  his  mate  to  the  plan- 
tation, where  they  were  confined  in  a  deserted 
negro  cabin.  A  few  blankets  had  been  spread 
out  on  the  floor  to  serve  as  a  bed,  and,  had  they 
been  among  friends,  they  could  have  passed  a 
very  comfortable  night. 

As  soon  as  the  corporal  had  locked  the  door 
and  retired,  the  mate  said: 

"I  wish,  sir,  that  lieutenant  hadn't  taken  so 
much  interest  in  you,  'cause  we're  in  Darby 
now,  sure." 

"We  are  much  better  off  than  we  would  be 
out  in  the  camp,"  answered  Frank.  "Try  that 
window-shutter — carefully,  now." 

The  mate  did  as  he  was  ordered,  and,  to 
Frank's  joy,  reported  that  it  was  unfastened. 

"Now,"  said  the  latter,  "the  next  thing  is  to 
ascertain  where  the  sentries  are  posted." 

"There's  one  out  aft  here,"  replied  the  mate, 
'  'cause  I  can  see  him;  and  there's  one  at  the 
gangway  for'ard,  'cause  I  heered  the  corporal 
tell  him  to  keep  a  good  look-out." 

"We  must  wait  until  the  camp  is  still,"  said 
Frank,  "and  then  we  will  make  the  attempt." 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         109 

For  two  long  hourc  the  prisoners  sat  on  their 
rough  bed — the  mate,  in  accordance  with  the 
discipline  to  which  he  had  been  accustomed 
from  boyhood,  waiting  for  his  officer  to  speak, 
and  Frank  listening  for  the  advent  of  that 
silence  which  should  proclaim  that  the  time  for 
action  had  arrived 

Eleven  o'clock  came  at  length,  when,  just 
after  the  sentry's  cry  of  "All's  well,"  Frank 
arose  to  his  feet,  and  cautiously  approaching 
the  window,  pushed  open  the  shutter  and 
looked  out.  The  sentry  was  seated  on  the 
ground  at  the  corner  of  the  cabin,  holding 
his  musket  across  his  knees,  now  and  then 
stretching  his  arms,  and  yawning.  Jack  re- 
mained seated  on  the  bed,  while  Frank  de- 
bated long  and  earnestly  with  himself  as  to 
what  course  it  was  best  to  pursue.  Should 
they  spring  out  and  overpower  the  sentry 
where  he  sat?  This  could  not  be  accomplished 
without  a  fight,  for  the  sentry  was  a  large, 
powerful-looking  man,  and,  without  doubt, 
possessed  of  great  strength ;  besides,  if  a  strug- 


110         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

gle  did  ensue,  the  noise  would  attract  the  at- 
tention of  the  guard  at  the  other  side  of  the 
cabin,  who  would  lend  prompt  assistance,  and, 
with  these  two  men  opposed  to  them,  escape 
would  be  impossible.  Still,  there  seemed  to  be 
no  other  course  for  them  to  pursue,  and  Frank 
had  already  proposed  the  plan  to  the  mate, 
and  was  about  to  push  open  the  shutter  and 
make  the  attempt,  when  he  noticed  that  the 
sentinel  had  leaned  his  head  against  the  cabin, 
and  was  sleeping  soundly. 

"Jack,"  he  whispered,  "get  out  of  this  win- 
dow quickly,  and  make  the  best  of  your  way 
into  those  bushes,"  pointing  to  a  thicket  that 
stood  about  twenty  feet  from  the  cabin.  "As 
soon  as  I  see  you  safe,  I  will  follow.  Don't 
make  any  noise  now." 

The  mate  touched  his  cap,  lingered  for  an 
instant  to  press  Frank's  hand,  then  mounted 
lightly  into  the  window,  reached  the  ground 
without  arousing  the  rebel,  and,  in  a  moment 
more,  disappeared  in  the  bushes.  Frank  was 
about  to  follow  when  the  sentry  suddenly 
awakened,  rubbed  his  eyes,  gazed  vacantly] 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         111 

about  him,  and  then  sank  back  to  his  former 
position.  As  soon  as  Frank  felt  certain  that 
he  was  asleep,  he  again  opened  the  shutter, 
descended  noiselessly  to  the  ground,  and,  after 
carefully  closing  the  window,  sprang  into  the 
bushes. 

"Shiver  my  timbers,  sir,"  whispered  Jack, 
seizing  his  officer's  hand,  "that  was  well  done. 
Won't  the  Johnnies  be  surprised  when  they 
call  all  hands  in  the  morning,  and  find  us 
missinT 

But  the  fugitives  were  by  no  means  safe, 
neither  had  their  escape  been  accomplished. 
They  were  still  inside  of  the  lines,  and  might, 
at  any  moment,  stumble  upon  a  picket.  But 
it  was  necessary  that  they  should  get  as  far 
away  from  the  camp  as  possible  before  their 
escape  became  discovered,  and  Frank,  without 
waiting  to  receive  the  congratulations  of  the 
mate,  who  now  looked  upon  their  escape  as  a 
certain  thing,  threw  himself  on  his  hands  and 
knees,  and  moved  slowly  across  a  field  that  ex- 
tended a  mile  back  of  the  cabin,  and  which 
must  be  crossed  before  they  could  reach  the 


112         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

woods.  Their  progress  was  slow  and  labori- 
ous, and  it  was  two  hours  before  they  reached 
a  road  which  ran  in  the  direction  in  which 
they  supposed  the  river  to  lie.  Not  having 
seen  any  pickets,  and  now  feeling  quite  certain 
that  they  were  outside  of  the  lines,  they  arose 
to  their  feet,  and  commenced  running  at  the 
top  of  their  speed.  The  road  ran  through  a 
thick  woods,  but  they  had  no  difficulty  in  fol- 
lowing it,  as  the  moon  was  shining  brightly. 
Just  before  daylight,  they  arrived  at  the  Mis- 
sissippi. It  was  a  pleasant  sight  to  their  eyes, 
and  both  uttered  a  shout  of  joy  when  they 
found  themselves  standing  on  its  banks.  But 
their  spirits  fell  again,  when,  on  glancing  up 
and  down  the  river  as  far  as  their  eyes  could 
reach,  they  could  not  see  a  vessel  of  any  kind 
in  sight.  They  were  not  yet  at  their  journey's 
end.  There  might  be  a  gun-boat  close  by,  hid 
behind  one  of  the  numerous  points  that 
stretched  out  into  the  river,  or  there  might 
not  be  one  within  a  hundred  miles.  They  must 
not  linger,  however,  for  they  were  not  free 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         113 

from  pursuit  until  they  were  safe  on  board 
some  vessel. 

Sorrowfully  they  bent  their  steps  down  the 
river,  listening  for  sounds  of  pursuit,  and 
eagerly  watching  for  signs  of  an  approaching 
steamer ;  but  the  day  wore  away,  and  the  fugi- 
tives, who  began  to  feel  the  effects  of  hunger, 
halted,  and  were  debating  upon  the  means  to 
be  used  in  procuring  food,  when,  to  their  joy, 
they  discovered  smoke  around  a  bend,  and,  in 
half  an  hour,  a  transport,  loaded  with  soldiers, 
appeared  in  sight.  They  at  once  commenced 
waving  their  hats,  to  attract  the  attention  of 
those  on  board,  who  evidently  saw  them,  but 
being  suspicious  that  it  was  a  plan  of  the  rebels 
to  decoy  them  into  shore,  turned  off  toward  the 
opposite  bank. 

"I  should  think  they  ought  to  see  us,"  said 
Frank,  and  he  commenced  shouting  at  the  top 
of  his  lungs.  A  moment  afterward  a  puff  of 
smoke  arose  from  the  forecastle,  and  a  twelve- 
pounder  shot  plowed  through  the  water,  and 
lodged  in  the  bank  at  their  feet.  It  was  then 
evident  to  them  that  they  had  been  taken  for 


114         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

rebels.  After  watching  the  boat  until  it  dis- 
appeared, they  again  turned  their  faces  down 
the  river.  Night  overtaking  them  without 
bringing  any  relief,  the  fugitives,  hungry  and 
foot-sore,  lay  down  in  the  woods  and  slept. 


CHAPTER  VII 

A    CLOSE   SHAVE 

WHEN  the  morning  came  they  bent  their 
steps  down  the  bank,  keeping  in  the  edge  of 
the  woods  to  prevent  surprise,  but  not  far 
enough  from  the  river  to  allow  any  boat  that 
might  chance  to  pass  to  escape  their  observa- 
tion. They  again  began  to  feel  the  fierce 
pangs  of  hunger,  which  they  endeavored  to  al- 
leviate by  chewing  twigs  and  roots.  But  this 
affording  them  no  relief,  the  mate  finally  pro- 
posed that  they  should  turn  back  into  the 
country  and  ask  for  food  at  the  first  house 
they  could  find.  Recapture  was  preferable  to 
starving  to  death.  Frank  easily  turned  him 
from  his  purpose  by  assuring  him  that  they 
would  certainly  be  picked  up  during  the  after- 
noon, or  on  the  following  morning.  But  night 
came,  without  bringing  them  any  relief,  and 

115 


116         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

the  tired  and  hungry  fugitives  again  lay  down 
in  the  woods  and  slept. 

About  noon,  on  the  next  day,  they  found 
themselves  on  the  banks  of  a  wide  and  deep 
ravine,  that  ran  across  their  path.  To  climb 
up  and  down  those  steep  banks  was  impossi- 
ble; their  wasted  strength  was  not  equal  to 
the  task.  Their  only  course  was  to  follow  the 
ravine  back  into  the  woods  until  they  could 
find  some  means  of  crossing  it.  After  wearily 
dragging  themselves  for  two  hours  over  fallen 
logs,  and  through  thick,  tangled  bushes  and 
cane-brakes  that  lay  in  their  path,  they 
emerged  from  the  woods,  and  found  before 
them  a  small  log-hut,  standing  close  to  a 
bridge  that  spanned  the  ravine.  Hastily  draw- 
ing back  into  the  bushes,  they  closely  ex- 
amined the  premises,  which  seemed  to  be  de- 
serted, with  the  exception  of  a  negro,  whom 
they  saw  hitching  a  mule  to  a  tree  at  the  back 
of  the  cabin. 

"I  don't  see  any  white  men  there,  Jack," 
said  Frank.  "I  think  we  may  safely  ask  that 
negro  for  something  to  eat.  I  hardly  think 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         117 

there  is  any  danger,  for,  if  he  should  attempt 
mischief,  we  could  soon  overpower  him.  What 
do  you  say?  Shall  we  go  up ?" 

"Just  as  you  say,  sir,"  answered  the  mate. 
"But  let  us  first  get  something  to  use  as  a  be- 
laying-pin,  in  case  any  body  should  run  foul 
of  our  hawse." 

The  fugitives  procured  two  short  clubs,  and 
moved  out  of  the  woods  toward  the  cabin. 
The  negro  immediately  discovered  them.  At 
first,  he  rolled  up  his  eyes  in  surprise,  and 
acted  very  much  as  if  he  were  about  to  retreat ; 
but,  after  finding  that  the  two  sailors  were 
alone,  his  face  assumed  a  broad  grin,  which 
the  fugitives  took  for  a  smile  of  welcome. 

When  they  had  approached  within  speaking 
distance,  Frank  inquired: 

"Well,  uncle,  is  there  any  chance  for  a 
hungry  man  to  get  any  thing  to  eat  in  here?" 

"Plenty  ob  it,  massa,"  answered  the  negro. 
"Go  right  in  de  house." 

The  fugitives,  far  from  suspecting  any 
treachery,  were  about  to  comply;  but  Frank, 
who  was  in  advance,  had  scarcely  put  his  foot 


118         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

on  the  threshold,  when  two  rebel  soldiers 
sprang  out  of  the  cabin,  and  one  of  them,  seiz- 
ing him  by  the  collar,  flourished  a  huge  bowie- 
knife  above  his  head  and  demanded  his  sur- 
render. So  sudden  was  the  assault  that  Frank, 
for  a  moment,  was  deprived  of  all  power  of 
action.  But  not  so  with  the  mate,  who,  retain- 
ing his  presence  of  mind,  swung  his  club  about 
him  with  a  dexterity  truly  surprising,  and 
brought  it  down  with  all  the  force  of  his  sturdy 
arms  upon  the  head  of  the  rebel,  who,  instantly 
releasing  his  hold,  sank  to  the  ground  with  a 
low  moan.  But  before  he  could  repeat  the 
blow,  three  more  soldiers  sprang  from  the 
cabin,  and,  in  spite  of  their  struggles,  over- 
powered them;  not,  however,  until  the  mate 
had  been  stunned  by  a  blow  from  the  butt  of 
a  pistol. 

"Wai,  I'll  be  dog-gone!"  exclaimed  one  of 
the  rebels,  "but  this  is  a  lucky  haul  of  Yan- 
kees. Tom,  get  some  water  and  throw  it  into 
the  captain's  face,"  pointing  to  their  prostrate 
companion,  "an'  fetch  him  to.  The  rest  of 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         119 

you,  get  some  ropes  an'  tie  these  fellers'  hands 
behind  them." 

While  the  men  were  executing  these  orders, 
Frank  had  time  to  scan  the  countenances  of 
his  captors.  They  evidently  did  not  belong  to 
the  Wild-cats,  for,  although  that  regiment  was 
composed  of  most  ferocious-looking  men,  they 
appeared  like  gentlemen  compared  with  those 
in  whose  power  he  now  found  himself.  These 
were  a  dirty,  ragged,  blood-thirsty  looking  set 
of  men,  and,  unless  their  countenances  belied 
them,  they  were  capable  of  any  atrocity. 

Presently,  the  men  who  had  gone  into  the 
cabin  returned  with  some  pieces  of  cord,  with 
which  they  proceeded  to  confine  the  hands  of 
their  prisoners,  who  offered  no  resistance.  By 
the  time  this  was  accomplished,  the  man 
whom  the  mate  had  handled  so  roughly  had 
been  restored  to  consciousness,  and  supported 
himself  against  the  cabin  to  collect  his 
thoughts,  while  the  others  stood  silently  by, 
as  if  awaiting  his  orders. 

"Get  every  thing  ready,"  he  said,  at  length, 
"and  let  the  job  be  done  at  once.  It  needs 


120         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

no  judge  or  jury  to  decide  the  fate  of  these 
men,  knowing,  as  we  do,  what  has  befallen 
those  of  our  number  who  were  so  unfortunate 
as  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Federals." 

The  rebels,  in  obedience  to  the  order, 
brought  out  of  the  cabin  two  pieces  of  rope, 
which  they  took  to  a  tree  that  stood  close  by, 
and,  coiling  them  up  in  their  hands,  threw 
one  end  over  a  limb  that  stretched  out  about 
six  feet  from  the  ground,  and  fastened  them 
there. 

"Douse  my  top-lights,"  exclaimed  the  mate, 
as  he  witnessed  these  proceedings,  "but  it  is 
all  up  with  us,  sir.  They're  going  to  swing 
us  to  the  yard-arm." 

The  horrid  truth  was  too  apparent,  and 
Frank  was  so  completely  unnerved  that  he 
was  compelled  to  lean  against  the  cabin  for 
support.  He  was  soon  aroused  by  the  voice 
of  the  leader  of  the  rebels,  who  said: 

"This  is  to  be  done  in  retaliation  for  an 
order  issued  by  Admiral  Porter,  stating  that 
he  would  hang  all  'guerrillas,'  as  he  termed 
them,  who  might  be  caught  firing  into  trans- 


ports  along  the  river.  You  can  see  the  effect 
of  that  order  right  here.  Out  of  a  company  of 
a  hundred  of  us  who  entered  the  army  at  the 
commencement  of  the  war,  you  see  all  that 
are  left.  The  remainder  have  been  killed  or 
captured  by  your  gun-boat  men.  Those  cap- 
tured have  suffered  the  penalty  of  that  order. 
They  were  no  more  guerrillas,  however,  than 
you  are,  but  were  regularly  sworn  into  the 
service,  and  were  detailed  to  harass  the  enemy 
in  every  possible  manner;  and,  for  obeying 
our  orders,  some  of  us  have  been  strung  up 
like  dogs.  We  shall  continue  to  retaliate  on 
you  until  our  government  receives  notice  that 
the  order  has  been  countermanded.  I  will  give 
you  an  hour,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  you 
must  swing." 

"If  you  must  execute  us,"  said  Frank,  in 
a  husky  voice,  "why  not  let  us  die  like  men, 
and  not  like  criminals?" 

"My  men  would  have  preferred  to  be  shot," 
said  the  rebel,  "but  were  not  allowed  the 
privilege  of  choosing."  So  saying,  the  captain 
turned  on  his  heel  and  walked  away,  while 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

Frank  seated  himself  on  the  threshold  of  the 
cabin,  and  repeated  his  sentence  with  a  calm- 
ness that  made  him  think  his  senses  were  leav- 
ing him.  Could  it  be  possible  that  he  had 
heard  aright,  and  that  he  was  in  reality  a 
condemned  man?  When  he  had  entered  the 
service,  the  thought  that  he  should  be  killed 
had  never  once  occurred  to  him.  He  had  fully 
and  confidently  expected  that  he  would  be 
permitted  to  live  to  see  the  end  of  the  war,  and 
to  return  home  to  enjoy  the  society  of  his 
friends  once  more.  Could  it  be  possible,  then, 
that,  after  indulging  in  such  bright  anticipa- 
tions, he  must  end  his  life  in  that  desolate 
place,  away  from  home  and  friends,  in  so  ter- 
rible a  manner?  He  could  not  convince  him- 
self that  it  was  a  reality.  But  there  was  the 
tree,  with  the  ropes,  and  the  fatal  noose  at  the 
end,  dangling  from  the  limb;  and  there  were 
those  blood-thirsty  looking  men  lounging  in 
the  shade,  and  only  waiting  until  the  hour 
granted  by  their  leader  should  expire  to  begin 
their  horrid  work.  O,  the  agony  of  that  mo- 
ment, when  he  could  look  forward  and  count 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

the  very  seconds  he  had  to  live!  An  hour! 
How  often  and  how  lightly  had  he  spoken  of 
it!  For  an  hour  in  the  life  of  one  moving 
about  at  freedom  in  the  world,  not  knowing 
when  death  will  come,  and,  as  is  too  often  the 
case,  scarcely  giving  the  matter  a  moment's 
thought,  is  a  space  of  time  of  very  little  im- 
portance; is  carelessly  spoken  of,  and,  when 
passed,  no  notice  is  taken  of  its  flight.  But  an 
hour  to  a  person  condemned  to  die,  who  has 
heard  his  sentence,  and  who  is  bound,  and 
watched  over  by  armed  men,  that  he  may  not 
escape  from  that  sentence;  who  is  in  the  full 
possession  of  all  his  faculties;  who  can  look 
abroad  upon  the  beauties  of  nature,  and  feel 
the  soft  breeze  of  heaven  fanning  his  cheek, 
but  who  knows  that,  at  the  end  of  that  time, 
he  will  be  deprived  of  all  these  faculties;  that 
his  life  will  be  suddenly  and  terribly  termi- 
nated— in  the  case  of  such  a  person,  who  can 
describe  the  thoughts  that  "make  up  the  sum 
of  his  heart's  fevered  existence?" 

It  seemed  to  Frank  that  scarcely  five  min- 
utes of  the  allotted  time  had  passed,  when  the 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

leader  of  the  guerrillas  arose  from  the  ground 
where  he  had  been  sitting.  The  signal  was  un- 
derstood by  his  men,  two  of  whom  approached 
the  prisoners,  and  conducted  them  toward  the 
scaffold.  The  mate  had  been  encouraged  by 
the  example  set  him  by  his  officer,  and  both 
walked  with  firm  steps;  their  faces,  although 
pale  as  death  itself,  being  as  expressionless  as 
marble,  and  bearing  not  the  slightest  trace  of 
the  struggle  that  was  going  on  within  them. 
Without  the  least  hesitation  they  took  their 
stand  on  a  log  under  the  tree,  and  the  fatal 
ropes  were  adjusted.  Their  farewells  had 
been  said,  and  the  leader  of  the  rebels  had 
made  a  signal  for  the  log  to  be  removed  from 
under  their  feet,  when  suddenly  there  was  a 
sound  of  approaching  horsemen,  and  the  next 
moment  a  party  of  the  Wild-cats  galloped  up, 
headed  by  Colonel  Harrison  and  Lieutenant 
Somers.  A  few  harshly-spoken  orders  rung  in 
Frank's  ears;  he  saw  the  leader  of  the  guer- 
rillas fall,  pierced  by  a  dozen  bullets,  and  then 
all  was  blank  to  him. 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         125 

Let  us  now  return  to  the  Wild-cats,  whom 
Frank  and  the  mate  had  so  unceremoniously 
deserted. 

The  escape  was  not  discovered  until  morn- 
ing, when  the  orderly  sergeant  went  to  the 
cabin  to  call  them.     It  was  scarcely  daylight, 
and  quite  dark  inside  of  the  cabin,  and  as  the1 
sergeant  opened  the  door,  he  vociferated: 

"Come,  Yanks!  get  out  of  this  and  get  your 
grub!" 

The  echo  of  his  own  voice  was  the  only  reply 
he  received.  After  waiting  a  moment,  he  re- 
peated the  summons  in  a  louder  tone,  and  still 
received  no  answer. 

"I'll  be  dog-gone  if  them  ar  Yanks  don't 
sleep  at  the  rate  of  more'n  forty  miles  an 
hour,"  said  the  sergeant  to  himself,  as  he  en- 
tered the  cabin  and  commenced  feeling  around 
in  the  dark  to  find  his  prisoners.  "Come  now, 
Yanks!"  he  exclaimed,  "none  of  your  tricks. 
I  know  you  heered  me.  Get  up,  I  say,  and  get 
your  grub,  for  it  is  high  time  we  were  movinV 

Still  no  answer.  The  rebel  finally  threw 
open  the  window-shutter,  and  by  the  strag- 


126         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

gling  rays  of  light  that  came  in,  he  found,  to 
his  utter  amazement,  that  his  prisoners  were 
gone.  With  one  bound  he  reached  the  open 
air,  and  without  paying  any  attention  to  the 
inquiries  of  the  guard  as  to  what  was  the 
cause  of  his  strange  behavior,  he  started  for 
the  house,  where  he  hurriedly  asked  for  the 
colonel. 

"What's  the  matter  now,  sergeant?"  in- 
quired that  gentleman,  appearing  at  the  door 
with  his  boots  in  his  hand. 

"The  prisoners,  sir,"  began  the  ser- 
geant  

"Well,  what's  the  trouble  with  them?" 
asked  the  colonel,  who  was  very  far  from 
guessing  the  facts  of  the  case.  "Won't  the 
lazy  Yankees  get  up?  Punch  'em  with  your 
bayonet  a  little  if  they  get  unruly;  that  will 
put  life  into  them,  and  keep  them  civil  at  the 
same  time." 

"I  could  manage  them  easy  enough,  sir,  if 
they  were  here,"  answered  the  sergeant;  "but, 
sir,  they" 

"If  they  were  here,"  repeated  the  colonel, 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         127 

who  now  began  to  suspect  the  truth.  "If  they 
were  here!  Have  you  allowed  them  to  es- 
cape?" 

"No,  sir,  we  didn't  let  them;  they  went  with- 
out asking  us!" 

"A  plague  on  you  lazy  scoundrels,"  shouted 
the  colonel,  in  a  rage.  "Let  loose  that  blood- 
hound at  once,  and  pursue  them.  No;  stop! 
Tell  the  officer  of  the  day  that  I  want  to  see 
him." 

The  sergeant  started  off  to  execute  the 
order;  and  the  colonel,  after  pulling  on  his 
boots,  entered  the  house,  where  Lieutenant 
Somers  and  the  people  of  the  plantation  were 
assembled,  awaiting  breakfast. 

"What's  the  matter,  colonel?"  inquired  the 
lieutenant.  "Any  thing  wrong?" 

"Don't  bother  me  with  your  foolish  ques- 
tions now,"  replied  the  colonel  roughly,  pacing 
up  and  down  the  floor  with  angry  strides. 
"It's  enough  to  upset  any  one's  patience.  That 
little  Yankee  has  escaped  again." 

"Escaped!"  repeated  all  in  the  room,  hold- 
ing up  their  hands  in  astonishment. 


128         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

"Yes.  Escaped — gone — mizzled — cleared 
out,"  said  the  colonel,  frantically  flourishing 
his  arms  above  his  head;  "and  unless  I  catch 
him,  which  I  don't  expect  to  do,  I'm  short  a 
captain,  for  he  was  to  have  been  exchanged 
for  one  of  my  officers." 

At  this  moment  the  officer  of  the  day  en- 
tered, and  the  colonel,  turning  to  him,  con- 
tinued : 

"That  rascally  little  Yankee  has  escaped 
again.  I  thought  I  had  him  safe  this  time,  but 
he  has  succeeded  in  giving  me  the  slip  when 
I  least  expected  it.  That  sailor  that  we  cap- 
tured with  him  has  gone  too.  Send  a  squad  in 
pursuit  of  them  at  once.  Use  the  blood-hound, 
but  hold  him  in  the  leash,  and  don't  injure 
either  of  the  prisoners  if  you  can  avoid  it." 

The  officer  bowed,  and  left  the  room;  and 
the  colonel,  after  giving  orders  that  the  case 
should  be  investigated,  in  order  to  see  who  was 
to  blame  in  allowing  the  prisoners  to  escape, 
mounted  his  horse,  and,  accompanied  by  Lieu- 
tenant Somers,  set  out  in  pursuit  of  the  squad, 
which  had  already  started  and  was  following 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         129 

the  trail  of  the  fugitives,  led  by  a  large  blood- 
hound, which  was  kept  in  check  by  a  chain 
held  by  one  of  the  men.  In  a  couple  of  hours 
they  arrived  at  the  place  where  Frank  and  the 
mate  had  been  fired  upon  by  the  steamer,  and 
here  the  trail  was  lost.  After  several  hours 
spent  in  unavailing  search,  the  squad  sepa- 
rated, and,  for  two  days,  scoured  the  country 
everywhere,  looking  in  vain  for  traces  of  the 
fugitives. 

At  the  end  of  that  time,  the  colonel,  com- 
pletely disheartened,  collected  his  forces,  and 
was  returning  to  the  plantation,  when  they 
were  met  by  a  negro,  in  a  great  state  of  excite- 
ment, who  anxiously  inquired  for  the  com- 
manding officer. 

"Get  away  from  me,  boy,"  shouted  the 
colonel,  impatiently,  "and  don't  bother  me 


now." 


"But,  sar,"  persisted  the  negro,  "Massa 
Thorne  done  kotched  two  white  gemmen,  an' 
be  gwine  to  kill  'em,  shore." 

"Bill  Thorne  in  this  part  of  the  country 
again!"  said  the  colonel.  "He'd  better  keep 


130         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

clear  of  me.  He  and  his  pack  of  horse-thieves 
are  more  injury  to  us  than  a  Yankee  gun- 
boat ;"  and  the  colonel,  without  waiting  to  hear 
any  more,  put  spurs  to  his  horse,  and  galloped 
off. 

"These  two  white  men  he  caught,"  said  Lieu- 
tenant Somers,  "what  were  they?  Yankees?" 

The  negro  replied  in  the  affirmative,  and 
then  proceeded  to  give  a  full  and  complete  de- 
scription of  the  prisoners,  so  that  the  lieuten- 
ant knew  in  a  moment  that  they  were  Frank 
and  the  mate.  After  questioning  him  as  to  the 
locality  where  the  execution  was  to  take  place, 
he  galloped  down  the  road,  and  soon  overtook 
the  colonel,  to  whom  he  related  the  circum- 
stance. The  latter  at  once  ordered  part  of  his 
men  to  follow  him,  (directing  the  others  to 
keep  on  the  trail,  so  that,  in  case  the  negro  was 
misleading  them,  no  time  would  be  lost.)  As 
we  have  seen,  he  arrived  just  in  time  to  save 
his  prisoners ;  one  moment  more,  and  he  would 
have  been  too  late. 

The  guerrillas  were  so  completely  surprised 
at  the  approach  of  the  cavalry,  and  so  dis- 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         131 

mayed  at  the  death  of  their  leader,  that  they 
did  not  think  of  retreat  until  it  was  too  late. 
The  Wild-cats  had  surrounded  them,  and  the 
sight  of  half  a  dozen  revolvers  leveled  at  their 
heads  caused  them  to  throw  down  their 
weapons  and  cry  for  quarter. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

TAKING  DOWN  THE  CAPTAIN 

WHEN  Frank's  consciousness  returned,  he 
found  himself  lying  on  the  floor  of  the  cabin, 
where  the  fight  had  taken  place  which  resulted 
in  his  capture  by  the  guerrillas,  his  head  sup- 
ported by  a  dirty  blanket,  rolled  up  to  serve 
as  a  pillow,  and  the  mate  sitting  on  a  three- 
legged  chair  beside  him.  Through  the  open 
door  could  be  seen  a  squad  of  the  Wild-cats, 
lounging  under  the  shade  of  the  trees. 

Slowly  the  recollection  of  the  scenes  through 
which  he  had  passed,  the  sentence  he  had  heard 
pronounced,  the  preparations  he  had  seen  made 
for  his  execution,  came  to  his  mind,  and  he  in- 
stinctively put  his  hand  to  his  throat,  as  if  ex- 
pecting to  find  it  encircled  by  the  fatal  rope. 

"Are  you  on  an  even  keel  now,  my  hearty?" 
asked  the  mate. 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         133 

"Where  are  the  guerrillas,  Jack?"  asked 
Frank.  "Are  we  safe?" 

"O  yes,  we're  safe  from  them,  but  we  are 
still  prisoners." 

At  this  moment  a  shaggy  head,  nearly 
covered  up  with  a  slouch  hat,  was  thrust  in  at 
the  door,  and  a  voice  inquired: 

"Are  you  all  right  now,  Yank?  If  you  are, 
come  out  here,  for  we  must  be  off." 

Frank,  although  very  weak,  was  able,  with 
the  assistance  of  the  mate,  to  walk  out  of  the 
cabin,  where  they  found  several  of  the  rebels 
mounted  and  waiting  for  them.  They  were 
each  given  a  horse,  after  which  the  Wild-cats 
closed  about  their  prisoners,  as  if  to  put  all 
further  attempts  at  escape  out  of  the  question, 
and  conducted  them  down  the  road  at  a  rapid 
gallop. 

As  soon  as  Frank's  ideas  had  fairly  re- 
turned, he  began  to  make  inquiries  in  regard 
to  the  singular  manner  in  which  he  and  the 
mate  had  been  rescued,  and  learned  that  the 
men  by  whom  they  had  been  captured  were 
guerrillas,  in  spite  of  what  they  had  said  to 


134         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

the  contrary;  that  they  made  war  on  rebel  as 
well  as  Union  people,  and  being  especially 
obnoxious  to  Colonel  Harrison — from  whom 
they  had  stolen  several  horses — they  had  been 
summarily  disposed  of.  At  first  Frank  could 
scarcely  credit  the  statement  that  they  had 
been  rescued  through  the  agency  of  the  very 
negro  to  whom  they  owed  their  capture;  but, 
after  being  assured  that  such  was  the  case,  it 
occurred  to  them  that  their  approach  had  first 
been  discovered  by  the  rebels  in  the  cabin,  and 
that  the  negro,  to  save  his  own  life,  had  acted 
in  obedience  to  their  orders;  and  then,  to 
make  amends  for  what  had  at  first  appeared 
to  be  an  act  of  treachery,  he  had  conveyed  the 
news  of  their  capture  to  Colonel  Harrison. 

As  soon  as  they  had  fairly  started,  the 
orderly  sergeant  galloped  up  beside  Frank, 
and  inquired: 

"Yank,  how  did  you  get  out  of  that  cabin 
that  night?  Nobody  don't  seem  to  know  noth- 
ing about  it." 

"I  have  already  told  him,  sir,"  said  the  mate, 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         135 

"that  we  walked  by  the  sentinel  when  he  was 
asleep;  but  he  don't  believe  it." 

Frank  then  proceeded  to  give  an  account  of 
the  manner  in  which  their  escape  had  been 
effected,  and,  as  it  corresponded  with  the 
mate's  story,  the  sergeant  was  compelled  to  be- 
lieve it. 

"Purty  well  done,"  said  he.  "But,  mind 
you,  don't  get  to  tryin'  it  on  agin,  'cause,  if 
you  do,  it's  the  colonel's  orders  that  you  both 
go  in  double  irons." 

Having  delivered  this  piece  of  information, 
the  sergeant  rode  up  to  the  head  of  the  column. 
The  prisoners  did  not  again  attempt  to  es- 
cape, for  they  knew  that  it  would  be  an  impos- 
sibility. They  were  closely  watched,  not  a 
single  movement  escaping  observation.  Wher- 
ever they  went,  two  stalwart  rebels  were  at 
their  heels;  and  when  they  slept,  their  guards 
stood  over  them  with  loaded  muskets.  That 
same  evening  they  overtook  the  main  body  of 
the  regiment,  and  on  the  sixth  day  after  their 
rescue  from  the  guerrillas,  they  arrived  oppo- 
site the  village  of  Napoleon,  where  the  ex- 


136         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

change  was  to  take  place.  The  Ticonderoga 
was  not  there,  but  two  days  afterward  she 
made  her  appearance;  and,  as  soon  as  she  had 
dropped  her  anchor,  a  boat  was  seen  approach- 
ing the  shore  with  a  flag  of  truce  flying  in  the 
bow.  The  colonel  waved  his  handkerchief  in 
reply.  As  the  boat  drew  near,  Frank  saw 
two  men  in  rebel  uniform  seated  in  the  stern- 
sheets,  and  he  knew,  from  the  remarks  made 
by  the  Wild-cats,  that  one  of  them  was  the  of- 
ficer for  whom  he  was  to  be  exchanged. 

As  soon  as  the  boat  touched  the  shore,  the 
executive  officer  sprang  out,  followed  by  the 
two  rebels.  After  a  moment's  conversation 
with  the  colonel,  the  former  advanced  toward 
Frank  and  the  mate,  and,  after  greeting  them 
cordially,  exclaimed: 

"Come  aboard  the  ship,  boys;  you  belong 
to  Uncle  Sam  once  more." 

The  mate  could  scarcely  believe  that  he,  too, 
was  exchanged.  He  had  expected  nothing 
less  than  a  long  confinement  in  Vicksburg,  or 
perhaps  a  march  to  Shreveport ;  but,  as  it  hap- 
pened, the  captain  of  the  Ticonderoga  had 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         157 

found  a  rebel  soldier  on  board  the  flag-ship, 
and  had  obtained  permission  from  the  ad- 
miral to  exchange  him  for  the  mate. 

"Yes,  Yanks,"  said  the  colonel,  "you  are  at 
liberty  to  make  yourselves  scarce  as  soon  as 
you  choose." 

The  prisoners  lingered  only  to  shake  hands 
with  Lieutenant  Somers,  who  had  treated 
them  very  kindly,  and  had  often  found  means 
to  procure  them  many  little  privileges  and 
comforts,  and  then  ran  down  the  bank  and 
sprang  into  the  boat,  which  at  once  pushed 
from  the  shore  and  started  toward  the  Ticon- 
deroga.  As  Frank  came  over  the  side,  the  of- 
ficers crowded  around  him,  asking  innumer- 
able questions  in  relation  to  the  treatment  he 
had  received  while  in  the  hands  of  the  rebels; 
but  he  was  scarcely  allowed  time  to  answer 
one-half  of  their  inquiries  before  he  was  sum- 
moned into  the  presence  of  the  captain. 

That  gentleman  greeted  him  in  the  most 
cordial  manner,  requesting  him  to  be  seated 
and  relate  his  adventures.  Frank  gave  a  mi- 
nute description  of  the  manner  in  which  he  had 


138         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

transacted  the  business  intrusted  to  him  with 
the  flag  of  truce,  his  recapture  by  the  Wild- 
cats, and  the  circumstances  that  had  led  to  the 
retention  of  the  boatswain's  mate;  recounted 
the  plans  he  had  laid  for  their  escape,  their 
reception  by  the  guerrillas,  and,  finally,  their 
rescue  from  a  horrible  death,  to  all  of  which 
the  captain  listened  attentively.  After  Frank 
had  finished,  the  captain  said: 

"It  is,  of  course,  needless  to  say  that  I 
am  overjoyed  to  see  you  safe  on  board  the  ship 
again,  Mr.  Nelson,  and  that  you  have  returned 
none  the  worse  for  your  sojourn  among  the 
rebels.  I  am  especially  glad,  because  I  wish 
to  make  you  an  explanation.  You  have  been 
misrepresented  to  me,  and  I  was  very  hasty 
in  reprimanding  you  as  I  did  on  the  day  that 
you  behaved  so  gallantly  in  the  fight  at  Cy- 
press Bend.  It  was  on  account  of  the  report 
of  Mr.  Howe,  who  assumed  command  of  the 
expedition  after  the  captain  had  been  killed. 
His  report  showed  that  we  had  been  severely 
whipped;  and  when  I  learned  what  a  slaugh- 
ter there  had  been  of  the  men  I  placed  under 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         139 

your  command,  and  which  I  find,  upon  in- 
quiry, was  caused  by  the  ignorance  of  your 
superior  officer,  and  not  by  any  fault  of  your 
own — I  say,  when  I  heard  of  this,  I  was  so 
completely  disheartened  that  I  scarcely  knew 
what  I  was  about.  It  was  the  first  time  that 
ever  an  expedition  that  I  had  planned  failed, 
and  also  the  first  time  in  my  life  that  I  ever 
gave  the  order  to  retreat;  and  as  I  had  every 
reason  to  hope  for  success,  you  can  have  some 
idea  of  how  I  felt.  After  you  had  gone,  many 
facts  came  to  light,  of  which  no  mention  was 
made  in  Mr.  Howe's  report,  and  with  which 
I  was,  of  course,  unacquainted,  and  I  find 
that  I  have  done  you  a  great  injustice.  If 
ever  a  man  earned  a  shoulder-strap,  you  did 
at  that  fight.  I  have,  however,  sent  in  your 
application  for  a  court  of  inquiry,  and  have 
also  represented  the  case  to  the  admiral.  As 
soon  as  we  arrive  at  the  flag-ship  you  will  re- 
port to  him,  and  he  will  investigate  the  case." 
Frank,  as  can  easily  be  imagined,  listened 
to  this  statement  with  a  much  lighter  heart 
than  when  he  had  received  that  unjust  repri- 


140         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

mand.  After  the  captain  had  finished  ques- 
tioning him  in  relation  to  incidents  that  had 
transpired  during  his  captivity,  he  left  the 
cabin,  and  went-  forward  into  the  steerage, 
where  he  found  his  mess  just  sitting  dojvn  to 
dinner. 

"Well,  Frank,"  exclaimed  Keys,  as  the 
former  entered  and  took  his  place  at  the  table, 
"was  the  captain  glad  to  see  you?" 

"Yes,  he  appeared  to  be,"  replied  Frank. 

"I  thought  as  much.  He  has  been  as  un- 
easy as  a  fish  out  of  water  ever  since  you  were 
captured.  He  told  the  executive  officer  that 
if  there  was  anything  he  had  ever  done  that  he 
regretted,  it  was  that  he  had  given  you  that 
blowing  up.  He  said  that  he  had  no  right  to 
talk  to  you  as  he  did,  and  that  he  would  make 
amends  for  it  at  the  very  first  opportunity." 

"Did  he?"  inquired  Mr.  French,  eagerly. 
"I  was  certain  that  the  navy  regulations  state 
distinctly  that  the  captain  of  a  vessel  has  no 
right  to  reprimand  an  officer,  and  that,  if  he 
does  do  it,  he  can  be  made  to  apologize.  He 
once  gave  me  a  blowing  up,  and  said  that  I 


was  of  no  more  account  on  this  ship  than  an 
extra  boiler;  and,  if  he  has  apologized  to  Mr. 
Nelson,  he  must  do  the  same  by  me.  I'll  go 
and  see  him  immediately  after  dinner." 

The  effect  of  this  speech  on  the  older  mem- 
bers of  the  mess  can  be  easily  imagined.  They 
looked  at  Mr.  French  for  a  moment,  to  see  if 
he  was  really  in  earnest,  and  then  burst  into 
a  fit  of  the  most  uproarious  laughter.  The 
idea  of  forcing  the  captain  of  a  gun-boat  to 
apologize  to  one  of  Ms  subordinate  officers  for 
administering  a  reprimand  that  he  really  de- 
served, was  ludicrous  in  the  extreme.  Mr. 
Keys  was  the  only  one  who  could  keep  a 
straight  face.  He,  with  his  ready  wit,  at  once 
saw  that  here  was  a  capital  chance  to  satisfy 
his  love  of  mischief.  He  dropped  his  knife 
and  fork,  looked  first  at  one,  then  at  another, 
and,  when  the  noise  had  subsided,  said, 
quietly : 

"I  don't  see  where  the  laugh  comes  in. 
Perhaps  some  of  you  gentlemen  think  that  an 
officer  has  no  right  to  demand  an  apology  from 
a  superior!  Then  I  can  tell  you  that  you  are 


142         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

very  much  mistaken,  for  I  have  got  the  whole 
thing  in  black  and  white,  copied  from  the  navy 
regulations;  and,  if  I  was  in  Mr.  French's 
place,  I  would  make  the  captain  take  back 
what  he  said,  or  I  would  report  him." 

We  must  pause  here  for  a  moment,  to  say 
that  the  result  of  Mr.  French's  interview  with 
the  captain,  when  the  former  had  complained 
that  his  rank  was  not  respected,  had  become 
known.  Mr.  Keys,  who  had  overheard  every 
word  of  it,  and  who  was  one  of  those  uneasy, 
mischief-loving  fellows  who  always  liked  to 
see  some  one  in  hot  water,  considered  the  joke 
as  too  good  to  be  kept,  and  had  told  it,  con- 
fidentially of  course,  first  to  this  officer,  then 
to  that  one,  until  every  person  on  board  the 
ship  had  become  acquainted  with  the  particu- 
lars; and  thus  far  Mr.  French  had  been  com- 
pelled to  bear  the  jokes  of  his  messmates  with- 
out any  chance  of  obtaining  redress.  How- 
ever, he  had  discovered  it  at  last.  The  cap- 
tain had  apologized  to  Frank,  and  he  must 
do  the  same  by  him,  if  he  wished  to  keep  out 
of  trouble.  He  was  certain  that  he  should  sue- 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

ceed  this  time,  for  he  knew  that  Keys  had  been 
in  the  service  long  enough  to  become  well  ac- 
quainted with  its  rules  and  regulations,  and 
there  was  such  apparent  truthfulness  and  sin- 
cerity in  what  he  said,  that  Mr.  French  was 
certain  of  bringing  the  captain  to  terms. 

"Yes,  sir,"  repeated  Keys;  "if  my  superior 
officer  abuses  me,  I  shall  seek  redress.  Be- 
cause a  man  wears  three  or  four  stripes  of 
gold  lace  around  his  arms,  he  has  no  right  to 
impose  upon  me." 

"I  shall  see  the  captain  about  it  as  soon  as 
I  have  finished  my  dinner,"  said  Mr.  French, 
decidedly. 

"You  had  better  let  that  job  out,"  said  the 
caterer,  who  being  a  very  quiet,  staid  sort  of 
a  person,  did  not  wish  to  see  any  disturbance. 
"You  will  remember  that  you  got  a  blowing 
up  once  for  not  taking  my  advice.  I  have 
been  in  the  navy  longer  than  you,  and  you 
had  better  listen  to  me." 

"I  know  that  you  have  more  experience  than 
myself,"  answered  French;  "but  that  experi- 
ence doesn't  tell  you  that  a  captain  can  use 


144         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

me  as  he  pleases.  I  have  rank  as  well  as  he 
has.  Besides,  you  see,  I  have  the  advantage 
this  time." 

"Yes,  sir,"  chimed  in  Keys,  winking  at 
Frank,  who  struggled  hard  to  suppress  a 
laugh,  "and  if  you  will  only  push  the  matter, 
you  will  see  some  fun  on  this  ship." 

Here  the  subject  was  dropped.  Immedi- 
ately after  dinner  was  finished,  as  usual,  the 
officers  all  congregated  under  the  awning  on 
the  main-deck.  Mr.  French  walked  up  and 
down  the  deck,  conversing  earnestly  with  his 
two  friends,  who,  entirely  ignorant  of  what 
might  be  the  consequences  of  such  a  step,  were 
urging  him  to  seek  an  interview  with  the  Cap- 
tain, to  demand  an  apology,  which  would  cer- 
tainly be  given,  and  would  show  the  ship's 
company  that  they  had  rank,  and  that  it  must 
be  respected. 

Frank  had  for  some  time  missed  Keys,  and 
was  wondering  what  had  become  of  him,  when 
he  discovered  that  individual  on  his  hands 
and  knees  behind  the  pilot-house,  beckoning 
eagerly.  Frank  walked  toward  him  carelessly, 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         145 

so  as  not  to  attract  the  attention  of  Mr. 
French  and  his  friends,  and,  as  he  came  up, 
Keys  said,  in  a  hurried  whisper : 

"See  here,  Nelson;  you  know  I  told  French 
that  I  had  the  rules  and  regulations  all  copied 
down  in  my  order-book.  Now,  it  has  just  oc- 
curred to  me  that  he  might  want  to  see  them; 
so  I  want  to  write  something  to  show  him.  I 
can't  get  to  my  room  without  his  seeing  me, 
so  I  wish  you  would  lend  me  your  key." 

Frank  accordingly  produced  it ;  but  his  con- 
science reproved  him  when  he  thought  in 
what  an  unpleasant  position  his  friend  was 
endeavoring  to  place  Mr.  French. 

"Look  here,  Keys,"  said  he,  "I  propose  that 
you  don't  carry  this  joke  any  further.  It  will 
get  the  poor  greenhorn  in  a  bad  fix." 

"I  can't  help  it,"  returned  Keys.  "I  have 
often  volunteered  to  give  him  advice,  and  have 
tried  to  convince  him  that  if  he  ever  wants  to 
understand  his  business  he  must  make  use  of 
somebody's  experience  besides  his  own.  But 
he  has  always  snapped  me  up  very  short. 


146         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

Now,  if  he  wants  to  learn  by  experience,  I'll 
help  him  all  I  can." 

So  saying.  Keys  crawled  off  on  his  hands  and 
knees  toward  Frank's  room,  where  he  locked 
himself  in,  and  the  latter  returned  to  the  main- 
deck.  About  an  hour  afterward  Keys  made 
his  appearance,  walking  rapidly  across  the 
deck,  as  if  searching  for  something  that  he  was 
in  a  great  hurry  to  find,  and  thus  attracted  the 
attention  of  Mr.  French  and  his  two  friends, 
who  took  him  familiarly  by  the  arm  and  led 
him  forward,  out  of  ear-shot  of  the  other  offi- 
cers, who  were  still  seated  on  the  main-deck. 

"See  here,  Keys,"  said  French,  "I  under- 
stood you  to  say  that  you  had  the  regulations 
in  relation  to  the  treatment  of  subordinate 
officers,  copied  in  your  order-book.  Will  you 
allow  me  to  look  at  them?" 

"Ah,  yes,"  said  Keys,  "I  remember.  Here's 
something  that  relates  to  it;"  and  he  pro- 
duced his  memorandum-book,  and  pointed  to 
an  article  hastily  written  in  lead  pencil,  which 
ran  as  follows: 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         147 

"And  be  it  further  enacted:  That,  as  in  the 
maintenance  of  his  authority  over  his  officers 
on  shipboard,  it  is  rendered  necessary  that  the 
commanding  officer  should,  in  all  cases,  treat 
his  subordinates  as  gentlemen,  all  harsh  words 
from  a  commanding  officer  to  an  officer  of 
lower  grade  are  hereby  strictly  prohibited ;  and 
in  all  cases  where  the  commander  is  guilty  of 
a  violation  of  this  act  the  person  aggrieved 
shall  be,  and  is  hereby,  authorized  to  seek  re- 
dress." 

"There,  gentlemen,"  exclaimed  Mr.  French, 
after  he  had  carefully  read  the  article,  "is  an 
act  of  the  American  Congress,  which  author- 
izes me  to  seek  redress.  All  harsh  words  in 
the  navy  are  strictly  prohibited;  and  if  the 
captain  does  not  apologize  for  what  he  said  to 
me,  I'll  report  him." 

"You  will  please  excuse  me,  gentlemen,  for 
the  present,"  said  Keys,  who  was  finding  it 
exceedingly  difficult  to  control  himself.  "The 
turret  must  be  got  ready  for  inspection  at 


14-8         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

sun-down;"  and,  thrusting  the  book  in  his 
pocket,  he  walked  rapidly  below. 

Mr.  French  immediately  moved  aft,  and, 
drawing  himself  up  very  stiffly,  said  to  the 
orderly : 

"Tell  the  captain  that  I  have  business  with 
him." 

The  marine  disappeared,  and  soon  returned 
with  a  request  that  he  would  walk  into  the 
cabin.  The  captain  was  seated  at  his  table, 
writing;  but,  as  the  mate  entered,  he  dropped 
his  pen,  turned  in  his  chair,  and  waited  for 
him  to  make  known  his  wants. 

"Captain,"  began  Mr.  French,  hesitatingly, 
for  he  scarcely  knew  how  to  commence  the 
conversation,  "I — I — I — have  been  reading  the 
navy  regulations,  and  I  find  that  I  have  been 
abused." 

"Who  has  abused  you,  sir?" 

"Well,  you  see,  sir,"  began  the  mate 

"I  asked  you  who  had  been  abusing  you, 
sir,"  interrupted  the  captain.  "Answer  my 
question,  and  make  your  explanations  after- 
ward." 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         149 

"Well,  sir,  to  come  to  the  point,  you  have 
abused  me,  sir." 

The  captain  started  back  in  surprise,  and 
looked  at  the  mate  for  several  moments,  as  if 
to  make  sure  that  he  was  in  his  right  mind, 
and  then  quietly  asked: 

"How  have  I  abused  you,  sir?" 

"In  reprimanding  me,  sir.  The  navy  regu- 
lations distinctly  state  that  a  commanding  of- 
ficer has  no  right  to  use  harsh  words  to  his 
subordinates ;  and  I  demand  an  apology." 

"Can  you  furnish  me  with  a  copy  of  those 
regulations  ?" 

"Yes,  sir;  Mr.  Keys  has  them,"  replied  the 
mate;  and  he  left  the  cabin,  and  commenced 
searching  for  that  individual. 

We  should  remark  that  Mr.  Keys  was  pretty 
well  aware  that  he  would  be  likely  to  get  him- 
self into  hot  water.  Wishing  to  delay  the  in- 
terview between  himself  and  the  captain  as 
long  as  possible,  he  had  retreated  to  the  hold, 
where  he  appeared  to  be  very  busily  engaged; 
but,  as  soon  as  Mr.  French  made  known  his 
errand,  he  readily  produced  his  book,  glad  in- 


150         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

deed  that  he  was  to  be  let  off  without  seeing 
the  captain.  The  mate  carried  it  into  the 
cabin.  The  captain  read  over  the  article 
several  times,  and  then  arose  from  his  seat, 
and,  going  to  one  of  the  after-ports,  appeared 
to  be  busily  engaged  with  his  own  thoughts. 
Mr.  French  stood  watching  him  with  a  smile 
of  triumph,  certain  that  the  captain  had  been 
worsted,  and  that  he  would  soon  receive  the 
required  apology;  but,  had  he  been  a  keen 
observer,  he  would  have  seen  that  the  captain 
was  convulsed  with  laughter,  which  he  was 
vainly  endeavoring  to  conceal.  He  easily  saw 
through  the  trick,  and  it  reminded  him  of  the 
days  when  he  was  a  midshipman,  and  had 
been  implicated  in  similar  jokes. 

"Mr.  French,"  said  he,  at  length,  "you  may 
retire  for  a  few  moments.  I  will  send  for  you 
presently.  Orderly,  tell  Mr.  Keys  that  I  wish 
to  see  him." 


CHAPTER  IX 

A  PRACTICAL  JOKE 

MR.  KEYS,  who  began  to  be  really  afraid 
that  the  plan  he  had  adopted  for  assisting  his 
green  messmate  to  "learn  by  experience"  was 
about  to  rebound  with  redoubled  force  on  his 
own  head,  was  found  by  the  orderly  in  earnest 
conversation  with  Frank,  to  whom  he  always 
went  for  advice. 

"It's  getting  hot,  Nelson,"  said  he.  "What 
shall  I  do?  I'm  in  for  my  share  of  the  rations 
this  time,  sure." 

"Make  a  clean  breast  of  it,"  replied  Frank. 
"You  will  only  get  yourself  in  trouble  if  you 
do  not,  for  the  captain  knows  exactly  how  the 
matter  stands." 

The  mate  had  already  determined  to  make 
a  full  confession;  but,  nevertheless,  his  feel- 
ings, as  he  entered  the  cabin,  were  not  of  the 

151 


152         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

most  pleasant  nature.  His  reception,  how- 
ever, was  far  different  from  what  he  had  ex- 
pected. The  captain,  as  we  have  seen,  was  one 
of  the  most  reasonable  men  in  the  world,  if 
approached  in  the  proper  manner,  and  if  he 
saw  that  an  officer  endeavored  to  do  his  duty, 
he  was  very  patient  with  him ;  if  he  found  that 
a  reprimand  was  necessary,  it  was  adminis- 
tered in  the  most  friendly  manner;  but  if  he 
once  took  it  into  his  head  that  an  officer  had 
wilfully,  or  through  negligence,  omitted  a 
portion  of  his  duty,  then,  as  the  ship's  com- 
pany used  to  remark,  it  was  "stand  from  un- 
der.'* Mr.  Keys  was  a  great  favorite  with  the 
captain,  as  he  was  with  all  his  brother  officers, 
who  admired  his  dashing  style  and  his  good- 
natured  disposition.  He  was  never  idle,  but 
was  always  hurrying  about  the  ship,  as  if  the 
well-being  of  every  person  on  board  depended 
upon  himself,  and,  as  a  consequence,  his  duty 
was  always  done,  and  the  deck  of  which  he 
had  charge  was  kept  in  the  nicest  order. 

As  he  entered  the  cabin  the  captain  greeted 
him  with  a  smile.    Pointing  to  a  chair,  he  in- 


PRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         153 

quired,  as  he  commenced  turning  over  the 
leaves  of  the  memorandum-book : 

"Mr.  Keys,  is  this  some  of  your  work?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  the  mate. 

"Well,  what  in  the  world  possessed  you  to 
hoodwink  Mr.  French  in  this  manner?" 

"Because,  sir,  he  has  often  informed  me, 
when  I  have  undertaken  to  instruct  him,  that 
he  wishes  to  learn  every  thing  by  experience, 
sir.  I  have  been  assisting  him." 

"Do  you  think  he  has  improved  any  with 
your  help?" 

"Yes,  sir;  he  has  learned  that  his  authority 
in  the  mess-room  is  not  equal  to  that  of  the 
caterer." 

"Well,  I  thought  you  had  a  hand  in  that 
affair,"  said  the  captain,  "and  now  I  wish  to 
give  you  a  piece  of  advice.  I,  myself,  have 
often  been  in  such  scrapes  as  this,  and  have 
been  brought  up  with  a  round  turn.  This  re- 
minds me  of  a  little  incident  that  happened 
when  I  was  a  midshipman  on  the  Colorado. 
The  story  has  grown  old  by  this  time,  but  it 
will  be  considered  a  good  one  as  long  as  the 


154         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

navy  shall  exist.  There  were  eight  of  us  in 
the  mess,  and  while  we  were  lying  at  the  navy- 
yard  we  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  play  tricks 
upon  each  other,  and  upon  every  one  who  came 
in  our  way.  Our  ship  was  commanded  by  a 
commodore  who  never  bothered  his  head  about 
us  so  long  as  we  remained  within  bounds.  As 
is  always  the  case,  we  abused  our  privileges, 
grew  bolder  by  degrees,  until  finally  the  com- 
modore taught  us  a  lesson  that  we  never  for- 
got. 

"One  pleasant  afternoon,  as  we  were  loung- 
ing about  the  decks,  waiting  for  something  to 
turn  up,  we  saw  a  green-looking  specimen  of 
humanity  come  over  the  side,  and,  in  an  in- 
stant, were  on  the  alert.  He,  probably,  had 
never  been  on  board  of  a  man-o'-war  before, 
for  he  stared  with  open  mouth  at  every  thing 
he  saw.  Here  was  a  chance  for  us,  and  as 
soon  as  the  officer  of  the  deck  had  walked  aft, 
out  of  sight,  we  collared  the  countryman,  and 
led  him  back  to  our  mess-room. 

"  'By  gum,  but  you  have  got  every  thing 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         155 

nice  here,'  said  he.  'I'd  like  this  better  than 
workin'  on  a  farm.' 

"  'Ah,  you  ought  to  go  up  in  the  commo- 
dore's cabin  if  you  want  to  see  something  nice/ 
said  a  midshipman,  who  was  our  leader  in  all 
sorts  of  mischief.  'But,  look  here,  my  friend, 
if  you  wish  to  remain  with  us,  you  must  have  on 
a  uniform.  No  civilians  are  allowed  to  stay 
here.' 

"We  all  took  this  as  a  hint,  and  commenced 
rigging  the  Yankee  out  in  our  clothes.  One 
furnished  him  with  a  coat,  another  a  pair  of 
pants,  another  a  cap,  and  I  gave  him  a  sword 
that  had  just  been  presented  to  me. 

'  'Now,'  said  our  leader,  'do  you  want  a 
good  dinner — one  of  the  very  best?' 

'  'Sartin,'  replied  the  countryman.  'Got 
any?' 

'  'No;  but  the  commodore  has,  and  it  is  just 
about  his  dinner  time.' 

"We  then  explained  to  him  that  he  must 
go  up  to  the  cabin  and  tell  the  commodore 
that  he  had  just  been  ordered  to  the  ship;  and, 
in  accordance  with  his  usual  custom,  the  old 


156         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

gentleman  would  be  certain  to  invite  him  to 
dinner. 

'  'He  is  very  cross  sometimes,'  said  we, 
'but  don't  be  at  all  afraid  of  him — he  doesn't 
mean  any  thing.  Talk  to  him  as  though  he 
was  your  father.' 

'  'By  gum,  I  kin  do  that,'  said  the  Yankee, 
and  off  he  walked,  while  we  took  up  a  posi- 
tion where  we  could  hear  and  see  all  that 
passed.  • 

"The  commodore  was  seated  at  his  desk, 
writing,  and  the  countryman  at  once  walked 
up  to  him,  slapped  him  familiarly  on  the  shoul- 
der, and  shouted: 

'  'Hullo,  ole  hoss!  how  de  do?  Shake  hands 
with  a  feller,  won't  ye  ?' 

"The  commodore  looked  up  in  surprise,  and 
ejaculated: 

"  'Eh!  What  do  you  want  here?  Get  out 
of  this.  Away  you  go.' 

'  'O  no,  ole  hoss,  not  by  a  long  shot,'  re- 
plied the  Yankee,  coolly  seating  himself  in  the 
nearest  chair.  'Them  ar  young  fellers  down 
stairs  told  me  to  come  up  here  and  git  some 


PRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG        157 

dinner;  and,  by  gravy,  I  ain't  goin'  till  I  git 
it ;  so  fetch  it  on.' 

"Of  course,  it  was  as  plain  as  daylight  to 
the  commodore  that  we  were  at  the  bottom  of 
the  whole  affair,  for  the  countryman  never 
would  have  had  the  audacity  to  act  in  such  a 
manner,  unless  some  one  had  put  him  up  to 
it,  and  he  determined  to  punish  us  in  a  man- 
ner that  we  had  not  thought  of. 

"  'Look  here,  my  man,'  said  he,  'do  you  see 
that  soldier  out  there?'  pointing  to  a  marine 
that  was  pacing  back  and  forth  before  the 
gangway.  'Well,  he  has  got  a  loaded  musket, 
and  unless  you  get  off  this  ship  instantly,  he 
will  shoot  you.  Now,  away  you  go,  you  land- 
lubber, and  don't  stop  to  talk  to  any  body.' 

"We  saw  our  victim  moving  off,  and  were 
convulsed  with  laughter  at  what  we  considered 
to  be  the  best  joke  we  had  ever  perpetrated. 
We  supposed,  of  course,  that  he  would  return 
with  our  clothes,  but  you  can  imagine  our  as- 
tonishment when  we  saw  him  walk  down  the 
gang-plank  and  out  on  to  the  wharf.  We  held 
a  hurried  consultation,  and  then  I  started  for 


158         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

the  cabin,  and,  making  my  best  bow,  asked  per- 
mission to  step  ashore  for  a  moment. 

"  'No,  sir,'  replied  the  commodore;  'no  shore 
liberty  is  to  be  granted  to-day.' 

"In  short,  we  all  lost  our  clothing — every 
thing  that  we  had  loaned  the  countryman — 
and  a  more  crest-fallen  set  of  midshipmen  one 
never  saw.  We  endeavored  to  keep  the  affair 
a  secret,  but  the  commodore  told  it  to  the  first 
lieutenant,  and  from  him  it  soon  spread,  until 
the  entire  ship's  company  were  acquainted 
with  the  particulars.  We  were  very  careful 
after  that,  and  never  undertook  to  play  any 
more  jokes  on  the  commodore.  There  are 
many  things  objectionable  in  this  custom — for 
I  can  call  it  nothing  else — which  is  so  general 
among  young  officers,  of  playing  off  tricks 
upon  each  other;  and  your  jokes  are  getting  a 
little  too  practical.  If  you  must  indulge  in 
them,  I  wish  you  would  endeavor  to  keep  them 
out  of  the  cabin,  for  I  don't  like  to  be  both- 
ered. That  will  do,  sir." 

Mr.  Keys  retired,  highly  pleased  with  the 
result  of  his  interview  with  the  captain,  and 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         159 

went  straight  to  Frank,  to  whom  he  related 
every  thing,  and  showed  him  the  sham  "regu- 
lation" in  his  memorandum-book,  which  had 
been  the  cause  of  so  much  merriment. 

Mr.  French  was  soon  afterward  seen  to 
emerge  from  the  cabin,  where  he  had  listened 
to  a  lengthy  lecture,  containing  advice  which, 
if  followed,  would  in  future  prevent  all  dif- 
ficulty. Of  course,  all  the  officers  were  soon 
made  acquainted  with  the  affair,  and  many 
were  the  inquiries,  in  Mr.  French's  hearing,  as 
to  what  kind  of  an  apology  the  captain  had 
made.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  he  was  fully 
convinced  that  "experience  is  a  hard  task- 
master," and  that  it  is  well  enough,  especially 
on  shipboard,  to  take  advice. 

A  few  days  after  the  events  which  we  have 
just  been  relating  transpired,  the  Ticonderoga 
arrived  at  Yazoo  River.  In  obedience  to  his 
orders,  Frank  reported  on  board  the  flag-ship. 
Owing  to  a  press  of  business,  it  was  nearly  a 
week  before  the  court  of  inquiry  was  convened. 
Scarcely  an  hour  was  passed  in  the  examina- 
tion of  the  witnesses,  during  which  time  the 


160      FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

main  facts  of  the  case  were  developed,  Frank 
completely  vindicated,  and  Mr.  Howe,  who 
had  reported  him,  was  sent  on  board  of  ship 
in  disgrace.  The  same  evening  the  former  re- 
ceived his  promotion  as  acting  ensign,  accom- 
panied by  orders  to  report  on  board  the 
Trenton  for  duty. 

"I  am  very  glad,  for  your  sake,  Mr.  Nel- 
son," said  the  captain,  "to  be  able  to  give  you 
this  promotion,  but  very  sorry  for  my  own.  I 
regret  exceedingly  that  you  are  detached  from 
this  vessel,  but  it  is  something  over  which  I 
have  no  control.  I  am  perfectly  satisfied  with 
your  conduct  since  you  have  been  with  me.  If 
you  will  attend  to  your  duties  in  future  as 
well  as  you  have  since  you  have  been  here,  I 
will  answer  for  your  rapid  advancement." 


CHAPTER  X 

NEW  MESSMATES 

THE  next  morning,  immediately  after  quar- 
ters, the  second  cutter  was  called  away;  and 
Frank,  after  seeing  his  luggage  safely  stowed 
away  in  her,  shook  hands  with  his  brother  offi- 
cers, who  had  gathered  on  the  quarter-deck  to 
see  him  off,  and  started  toward  his  new  vessel. 

The  cutter  had  made,  perhaps,  a  dozen 
yards  from  the  Ticonderoga,  when  Frank  ob- 
served a  commotion  among  the  crew  assembled 
on  the  main-deck,  and  the  old  mate,  mounting 
one  of  the  boat-davits,  shouted : 

"Three  cheers  for  Mr.  Nelson !" 

The  cheers  were  given  with  a  will,  and 
Frank  answered  them  by  taking  off  his  cap. 
It  was  one  of  the  happiest  moments  of  his 
life.  He  knew  that  while  attached  to  the  Ti- 
conderoga he  had  endeavored  to  do  his  whole 

161 


162         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

duty.  The  shoulder-straps  which  he  wore 
showed  that  his  services  had  been  appreciated 
by  the  captain,  and  the  hearty  expression  of 
good  feeling  which  had  just  been  exhibited  by 
the  men,  afforded  abundant  proof  that  he  had 
left  no  enemies  among  them. 

When  he  arrived  alongside  of  the  Rover,  he 
found  the  officer  of  the  deck,  boatswain's  mate, 
and  side-boys  standing  on  the  after-guard,  and 
Frank  was  "piped  over  the  side"  with  all  the 
ceremony  due  his  rank.  It  made  him  feel  a 
little  embarrassed  at  first,  for  never  before  had 
so  much  respect  been  shown  him.  But  he  knew 
that  he  had  won  the  uniform  he  wore  by  hard 
knocks,  and  was  more  entitled  to  this  honor 
than  those  who  sported  ensign's  shoulder- 
straps  which  had  been  obtained,  not  by  any 
skill  or  bravery  of  their  own,  but  by  the  influ- 
ence of  friends  at  home. 

Frank  made  known  his  business,  and  was 
immediately  shown  down  into  the  cabin.  The 
captain,  who  had  often  met  him  on  board  of 
the  Ticonderoga,  and  who  had  heard  of  his 
exploits,  greeted  him  cordially,  and  was  glad  to 


learn  that  he  had  received  such  an  acquisition 
to  his  crew.  When  he  had  indorsed  Frank's 
orders,  he  sent  for  the  chief  engineer,  to  whom 
he  introduced  him,  with  a  request  that  he 
might  be  made  acquainted  with  the  other  offi- 
cers of  his  mess ;  after  which  Frank  was  shown 
to  his  room,  whither  his  luggage  was  soon  con- 
veyed. 

Just  before  supper  he  was  introduced  to  the 
officers  belonging  to  the  ward-room  mess;  but 
when  he  had  seated  himself  at  the  table,  and 
listened  a  few  moments  to  the  conversation 
that  followed,  he  found  that  some  of  his  new 
messmates  went  by  names  very  different  from 
those  by  which  they  had  been  introduced.  One 
of  the  ensigns,  whose  name  was  Andrews,  was 
known  as  Count  Timbertoes,  from  the  very 
dignified  manner  in  which  he  always  con- 
ducted himself,  and  from  his  wooden-leg  style 
of  progression. 

The  executive  officer,  whose  name  was 
Short,  answered  to  its  opposite — Long;  and 
sometimes,  behind  his  back,  he  was  called 
"Windy."  Frank  was  not  long  in  discovering 


164.         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

why  it  was  that  such  a  name  had  been  given 
him,  for  he  was  certainly  the  most  talkative 
man  he  had  ever  met;  and  when  asked  the 
most  simple  question,  instead  of  answering  it 
by  a  plain  Yes  or  No,  he  would  "beat  about 
the  bush,"  and  deliver  a  regular  oration  on 
the  subject.  He  had  a  great  command  of  lan- 
guage, and  seemed  desirous  of  making  every 
one  whom  he  met  acquainted  with  the  fact. 

The  paymaster  went  by  the  name  of  Young 
Methuselah.  He  was  a  man  about  twenty- 
seven  years  of  age,  but  the  account  kept  by  one 
of  the  engineers,  who  messed  in  the  steerage, 
made  him  about  two  hundred  and  eighty  years 
old.  There  was  scarcely  a  trade  or  profes- 
sion in  the  world  that,  according  to  his  own 
account,  he  had  not  followed  for  five  or  ten 
years.  He  had  been  a  shoemaker,  a  painter,  a 
grocer,  a  horse- jockey,  and  an  editor;  had  prac- 
ticed medicine,  traveled  in  Europe,  and,  when 
a  mere  boy,  had  been  master  of  as  fine  a  vessel 
as  ever  sailed  out  of  Boston.  He  was  a  "self- 
made  man,"  he  said,  and  early  in  life  had 
started  out  with  the  intention  of  seeing  the 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         165 

world.  This  was  the  reason  he  gave  for  follow- 
ing so  many  different  occupations. 

Unlike  the  rest  of  the  officers,  he  disliked 
very  much  the  name  they  had  given  him,  and 
had  often  complained  to  the  caterer  of  the  mess, 
and  finally  to  the  captain.  The  former  took  no 
measures  to  correct  it,  and  the  latter  "didn't 
want  to  be  troubled  with  mess  affairs,"  and  so 
the  paymaster  was  compelled  to  bear  his 
troubles,  which  he  did  with  a  very  bad  grace, 
that  only  made  matters  tenfold  worse.  It  was 
a  noticeable  fact,  however,  that,  whenever  any 
of  the  officers  were  in  need  of  money,  he  was 
always  addressed  as  Mr.  Harris,  but  as  soon  as 
the  money  had  been  obtained,  or  the  safe  was 
empty,  he  was  plain  Methuselah  again. 

The  chief-engineer's  name  was  Cobbs,  but 
he  went  by  the  name  of  Gentleman  Cobbs, 
from  the  fact  that  he  was  always  dressed  in 
the  height  of  fashion,  sported  his  gold-headed 
cane  and  patent-leather  boots  about  decks,  and 
had  never  been  known  to  "do  a  stitch  of  work" 
since  he  had  been  on  board  the  vessel. 

These  names  were,  of  course,  applied  only 


166         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

in  the  mess-room,  for  the  captain  was  a  regu- 
lar naval  officer,  a  very  strict  disciplinarian, 
and  any  such  familiarity  on  deck  would  have 
brought  certain  and  speedy  punishment  on 
the  offender.  On  the  whole,  Frank  was  very 
well  pleased  with  his  new  messmates;  they 
seemed  to  be  a  set  of  generous,  good-natured 
men,  and,  aside  from  the  grumbling  of  the  pay- 
master, which  was  kept  up  without  intermis- 
sion from  morning  until  night,  but  which  re- 
ceived no  attention  from  the  other  members 
of  the  mess,  every  thing  passed  off  smoothly. 
The  ward-room  was  kept  scrupulously  clean 
and  neat,  and  the  manner  in  which  all  the 
delicacies  of  the  season  were  served  up  bore 
testimony  to  the  fact  that,  although  Gentle- 
man Cobbs  was  very  much  averse  to  work,  he 
well  understood  the  business  of  catering,  and 
was  fond  of  good  living. 

After  dinner,  the  officers  belonging  to  both 
the  steerage  and  ward-room  messes  congre- 
gated on  the  main-deck,  under  the  awning,  to 
smoke.  During  the  conversation  the  carpen- 
ter, who  went  by  the  name  of  "Chips,"  re- 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         167 

marked,  as  he  wiped  the  big  drops  of  perspira- 
tion from  his  forehead : 

"This  boat  is  intolerable.  I  would  like  to 
be  where  I  was  six  years  ago  this  summer." 

"Where  was  that?" 

"I  was  in  a  whale-ship,  off  the  coast  of 
Greenland.  I  was  tired  enough  of  it  then, 
but  now  I'd  like  to  have  just  one  breath  of 
air  off  those  icebergs." 

"So  would  I,"  said  the  paymaster.  "It 
would  be  so  refreshing." 

At  this,  a  little,  dumpy  man,  who  had  sat 
lolling  back  in  his  chair,  with  his  hat  pushed 
down  over  his  eyes,  and  his  cigar,  which  he  had 
allowed  to  go  out,  pointing  upward  toward 
his  left  cheek,  started  up,  and  carelessly  in- 
quired : 

"Were  you  ever  there,  sir?" 

"Yes,  when  I  was  a  youngster.  I  went  up 
there  just  to  see  the  country.  I  spent  five 
years  on  the  voyage." 

The  dumpy  man  made  no  answer,  but  there 
was  a  roguish  twinkle  in  his  eye,  as  he  drew 
a  little  memorandum-book  from  his  pocket, 


168         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

and,  after  deliberately  placing  it  on  his  knee, 
proceeded  to  make  the  following  entry,  on  a 
page  which  was  headed  "Chronological 
Tables,"  and  which  was  covered  on  one  side 
with  writing,  and  on  the  other  by  a  long  col- 
umn of  figures: 

Paymaster  spent  on  voyage  to  Greenland . . 
5  years. 

After  adding  up  the  column  of  figures,  he 
closed  the  book  and  returned  it  to  his  pocket. 
Then,  turning  to  the  paymaster,  he  quietly 
remarked : 

"Four  hundred  and  eighty-five  years  old! 
That's  doing  well — extremely  well.  You  don't 
look  as  old  as  that,  sir.  You  won't  find  one 
man  in  five  hundred  hold  his  age  as  well  as 
you  do." 

The  effect  of  this  speech  on  the  officers  sit- 
ting around  was  ludicrous  in  the  extreme,  and 
had  the  party  been  in  the  mess-room  the 
dumpy  man  might  possibly  have  been  obliged 
to  "run  a  race"  with  a  boot- jack,  or  any  other 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         169 

missile  that  came  handy  to  the  paymaster; 
but  as  it  was,  the  latter  was  compelled  to 
choke  down  his  wrath,  and  leave  the  deck. 

Frank  also  found  that  these  strange  cogno- 
mens were  common  in  the  steerage;  one,  in 
particular,  he  noticed.  It  was  a  master's 
mate  who  went  by  the  name  of  "Nuisance." 
He  was  as  "green"  as  he  could  possibly  be, 
and,  although  he  seemed  to  try  hard  to  learn 
his  duty,  was  continually  getting  himself  into 
trouble.  He  had  a  room  off  the  quarter-deck, 
(the  same  that  Frank  was  to  occupy,)  but 
seemed  to  prefer  any  other  room  than  his 
own;  for,  when  off  watch,  he  would  take  pos- 
session of  the  first  bunk  that  suited  his  fancy; 
and,  not  unfrequently,  boots,  neck-ties,  col- 
lars, etc.,  which  had  been  missed,  were  found 
upon  his  person.  It  was  not  his  intention  to 
steal  them,  for  the  articles  were  always  re- 
turned after  he  had  worn  them  to  his  satis- 
faction. If  an  officer  went  into  his  room  to 
write,  or  to  engage  in  any  other  business  at 
which  he  did  not  wish  to  be  disturbed,  the 
mate  was  sure  to  be  on  hand,  and  hints  were 


170         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

of  no  avail;  nothing  but  a  direct  "Clear  out 
— I  don't  want  you  in  here,"  would  have  the 
desired  effect.  It  was  this  habit  that  had 
given  him  the  name  he  bore.  One  would  sup- 
pose that  after  receiving  so  many  rebuffs  he 
would  cease  to  trouble  his  brother  officers; 
but  he  seemed  to  be  very  dull  of  comprehen- 
sion. The  executive  officer  scolded  him  con- 
tinually. Finding  that  it  did  no  good,  the 
officers  were  obliged,  as  a  last  resort,  to  keep 
their  rooms  locked.  Had  the  mate  been  of  a 
surly,  unaccommodating  disposition,  he  would 
not  have  got  off  so  easily;  but  no  one  could 
have  the  heart  to  report  him,  for  every  one 
liked  him.  He  was  always  cheerful,  ready  to 
do  any  one  a  favor,  and  was  generous  to  a 
fault.  Frank  at  once  took  a  liking  to  his  new 
room-mate,  but,  having  been  duly  instructed 
by  the  others,  he  took  particular  pains  to  keep 
all  his  wearing  apparel,  when  not  in  use, 
safely  locked  in  his  trunk. 


CHAPTER  XI 

A  GOOD  NIGHT'S  WORK 

FRANK'S  past  history  soon  became  known  to 
every  one  on  board  the  Trenton,  for  several  of 
the  crew  had  acquaintances  on  board  of  the 
Ticonderoga,  and  when  they  were  allowed 
liberty,  had  taken  pains  to  inquire  into  the 
character  of  their  new  officer.  He  was 
scarcely  allowed  time  to  become  settled  down 
in  his  new  quarters,  before  he  was  given  an 
opportunity  to  establish  his  reputation  among 
his  messmates.  Information  was  received  that 
the  rebels  were  intending  to  cross  a  large  body 
of  cavalry  about  twenty  miles  above  the  Yazoo 
River,  and  the  Trenton  was  ordered  up  the 
Mississippi  to  prevent  it,  if  possible. 

For  several  days  they  patroled  the  river 
near  the  suspected  point,  but  nothing  un- 
usual was  seen;  neither  could  any  intelligence 

171 


172 

of  the  contemplated  move  be  obtained  from 
the  people  on  shore.  There  were  several 
houses  on  the  beat,  and  in  one  of  them  lived 
a  Frenchman,  who,  as  he  said,  having  claimed 
the  protection  of  his  own  country,  was  not 
compelled  to  bear  arms;  neither  was  he  at  all 
interested  in  the  war.  It  was  near  his  house, 
however,  that  the  crossing  of  the  cavalry  was 
to  take  place,  and  the  captain  of  the  Trenton 
thought  that  this  neutral  Frenchman  would 
bear  watching. 

Although  there  were  several  white  women 
on  the  premises,  he  was  the  only  man  who  had 
been  seen;  and  he  seemed  to  be  in  constant 
anxiety  lest  the  rebels  should  confiscate  a 
large  drove  of  cattle  he  had  at  a  pasture  back 
in  the  country,  and  was  in  the  habit  of  riding 
out  twice  each  week  to  "see  to  them,"  as  he 
said.  There  was  something  suspicious  in  this, 
for  persons  as  much  in  want  of  provisions  as 
the  rebels  were  reported  to  be — as  they  had 
gathered  up  all  the  stock  in  the  country  for 
miles  around  Vicksburg — would  not  be  likely 


PRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         173 

to  respect  such  property,  although  it  did  be- 
long to  a  neutral. 

The  captain  and  his  officers  mingled  freely 
with  the  people,  who  appeared  to  be  eager  to 
communicate  all  the  plans  of  the  rebels  with 
which  they  had  become  acquainted.  Frank,  as 
usual,  was  on  the  watch;  and  if  he  sometimes 
paid  a  visit  to  the  house,  he  was  more  fre- 
quently seen  questioning  the  negroes — of 
whom  there  were  about  half  a  dozen  on  the 
plantation,  the  others  having  been  compelled 
to  leave  their  master  to  work  on  the  fortifica- 
tions— who  were  either  profoundly  ignorant 
of  what  was  going  on,  or  else  were  true  rebels. 
There  was  one  negro,  in  particular,  in  whom 
the  young  officer  was  interested.  He  was  a 
tall,  muscular  fellow,  black  as  midnight,  about 
whom  there  was  a  kind  of  sneaking,  hang-dog 
look  that  Frank  did  not  like.  He  always  ac- 
companied his  master  on  his  trips  to  attend 
his  cattle,  and  Frank  felt  confident  that  if  any 
one  about  the  plantation  knew  of  any  thing 
suspicious  going  on,  it  was  this  negro;  but,  in 
spite  of  his  efforts,  he  could  not  find  an  oppor- 


174         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

tunity  to  talk  with  him,  for  the  negro  was 
generally  in  the  company  of  his  master,  and, 
when  alone,  seemed  to  take  particular  pains 
to  avoid  the  young  officer.  This  was  enough 
to  arouse  his  suspicions,  and  he  determined 
to  watch  him  closely.  He  reported  the  matter 
to  the  captain,  who  readily  granted  his  request 
that  he  might  be  allowed  to  spend  his  time, 
when  off  watch,  on  shore. 

A  week  passed,  but  nothing  had  been  devel- 
oped. At  length,  .one  morning  the  Frenchman 
prepared  to  pay  his  usual  visit  to  the  country. 
The  negro  was  to  accompany  him,  and  as 
Frank  saw  them  about  to  move  off,  he  in- 
quired, carelessly: 

"Haven't  you  got  another  horse?  If  you 
have,  I  should  like  to  go  with  you." 

"O,  no,"  answered  the  man  quickly,  "I  have 
no  other  horse ;  and  if  I  had,  it  wouldn't  do  for 
you  to  go,  for  you  would  certainly  get  cap- 
tured." 

That  set  Frank  to  thinking.  The  French- 
man had  often  told  him  that  there  were  no 
rebels  in  that  section  of  the  country,  and  now, 


his  excuse  for  not  wanting  company  was  that 
Frank  would  be  captured.  There  was  some- 
thing suspicious  in  this.  After  seeing  the  man 
depart,  he  hailed  the  ship  for  a  boat,  and  as 
soon  as  he  arrived  on  board,  sought  an  inter- 
view with  the  captain. 

"I  do  not  believe,  sir,"  said  he,  "that  this 
Frenchman  owns  any  stock  in  the  country. 
It  is  my  opinion  that  he  goes  out  there  to  hold 
communication  with  the  rebels.  He's  a  sort 
of  spy  and  messenger-boy,  and  relies  on  his 
nationality  to  protect  him  from  suspicion." 

Frank  then  related  the  particulars  of  what 
had  transpired  at  the  house,  and  the  captain 
readily  agreed  with  him.  But  the  question 
was,  how  to  proceed,  in  order  to  ascertain 
what  was  going  on,  and  what  kind  of  informa- 
tion was  furnished  the  rebels.  It  was  impos- 
sible to  follow  the  men  on  their  trips  without 
being  discovered;  neither  was  it  policy  to 
seize  the  man,  accuse  him  of  treachery,  and 
compel  him  to  confess  the  truth,  for  the  plot, 
whatever  it  was,  might  not  be  completed,  and 
it  might  be  necessary  to  keep  the  Frenchman 


176         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

in  ignorance  of  the  fact  that  his  complicity 
with  the  rebels  had  become  known,  in  order 
that,  when  the  work  was  completed,  it  might 
be  finished  up  entirely. 

"Well,  to  tell  the  truth,"  said  the  captain, 
rising  from  his  chair  and  pacing  up  and  down 
the  cabin,  "I  really  don't  know  how  to  act. 
That  something  is  wrong,  I  have  long  been 
satisfied;  but  I  don't  know  how  to  go  to  work 
to  find  out  what  it  is." 

"I  believe  I  can  find  out,  sir,"  said  Frank, 
who,  with  his  usual  promptness,  had  deter- 
mined upon  a  plan.  "They  will  return  this 
afternoon  about  three  o'clock,  and,  with  your 
permission,  I'll  see  what  I  can  do." 

"Very  well,"  replied  the  captain,  in  a  tone 
which  showed  that  he  did  not  anticipate  his 
success.  "Go  ahead;  but  be  careful  not  to 
excite  their  suspicions." 

Such  a  commission  as  this — something  re- 
quiring skill  and  judgment — was  just  what 
suited  Frank,  and,  having  laid  his  plans,  he 
felt  confident  of  success.  At  half-past  two  a 
boat  was  called  away,  and  he,  in  company  with 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         177 

the  mate — both  armed  with  revolvers — went 
on  shore.  Frank  walked  up  to  the  house  and 
seated  himself  on  the  portico,  while  the  mate, 
previously  instructed,  strolled  off  toward  the 
barn. 

There  were  two  officers  in  the  house  belong- 
ing to  the  vessel,  and  Frank  had  spent  but  a 
few  moments  in  conversation  with  them,  when 
the  Frenchman  and  the  negro  rode  up.  The 
former  dismounted  and  greeted  the  officers 
with  apparent  cordiality,  but  Frank  scarcely 
noticed  him,  for  his  eyes  were  upon  the  negro, 
who  rode  off  toward  the  barn  to  put  up  the 
horses.  Frank  arose  from  his  seat  and  fol- 
lowed slowly  after  him.  As  the  officers  were 
accustomed  to  roam  wherever  they  pleased 
about  the  plantation,  no  notice  was  taken  of 
his  movements.  When  he  reached  the  barn 
where  the  negro  was  unsaddling  the  horses,  he 
entered  and  closed  the  door  behind  him.  The 
negro  became  terrified  when  he  found  himself 
thus  confronted,  for  suspicions  that  he  and  his 
master  had  been  discovered  instantly  flashed 
across  his  mind. 


178         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

"Ah,  I  know  that  you  are  guilty,  you 
rascal,"  said  Frank,  triumphantly,  as  he  no- 
ticed the  man's  trepidation.  "Come  here;  I 
want  to  have  a  few  moments'  conversation 
with  you  on  a  very  important  subject.  Come 
here." 

The  negro  dropped  the  saddle  which  he  had 
just  taken  from  one  of  the  horses,  and  stood 
for  a  moment  undecided  how  to  act;  then 
springing  forward  like  a  tiger,  he  thrust  the 
officer  aside,  and  endeavored  to  open  the  door. 
Quick  as  thought,  Frank  grappled  with  him, 
but  the  negro  was  a  most  powerful  fellow,  and 
would  no  doubt  have  succeeded  in  escaping, 
had  not  the  mate  sprung  from  a  manger,  where 
he  had  lain  concealed,  and  felled  him  to  the 
floor  with  a  blow  from  the  butt  of  his  revolver. 
For  some  time  he  lay  insensible,  in  spite  of 
the  buckets  of  water  which  they  dashed  over 
him ;  but  at  length  he  began  to  recover.  When 
he  was  able  to  sit  up,  the  mate  stationed  him- 
self at  the  door  to  guard  against  surprise,  and 
Frank  proceeded  to  interrogate  the  negro. 

"In  the  first  place,"  said  he,  "I  guess  you 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         179 

have  found  that  we  are  in  earnest,  haven't 
you?" 

The  negro  felt  of  his  head,  but  made  no  re- 

piy- 

"Now,"  continued  Frank,  "unless  you  an- 
swer every  question  I  ask  you,  I'll  take  you  on 
board  the  ship  as  a  prisoner.  What  do  you  and 
your  master  go  out  into  the  country  for,  twice 
every  week?" 

The  negro  still  remained  silent,  and  Frank, 
finally  growing  impatient,  exclaimed,  "Here, 
Jack,  take  this  scoundrel  on  board  the  ship; 
I  guess  we  can  find  means  to  make  him  open  his 
mouth." 

"O,  my  master  will  kill  me,"  whimpered 
the  negro,  trembling  violently.  "If  I  don't 
tell  you  every  thing,  you  will  kill  me;  and  if 
I  do,  my  master  will  kill  me,  too;  so  I  shall 
die  any  way." 

"No,  you  won't;  just  tell  me  the  truth,  and 
I'll  see  that  no  one  harms  you.  Your  master 
need  know  nothing  about  it;  we  shall  not  be 
likely  to  tell  him.  Now,  what  is  there  out  in 
the  country  that  you  go  to  see  so  often?" 


180         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

"Torpedoes,"  replied  the  negro,  in  a  low 
voice,  gazing  about  the  barn  with  a  frightened 
air,  as  if  he  expected  to  see  his  master  appear 
before  him  in  some  magical  manner. 

"Torpedoes!"  repeated  Frank.  "Where  are 
they?" 

"In  a  little  creek  about  six  miles  from  here." 

"Who  is  making  them?  Are  there  any  rebels 
there?" 

"Yes;  there  is  a  colonel,  major,  and  lieu- 
tenant there;  but  my  master's  black  men  are 
doing  the  work." 

By  adroit  questioning — for  the  negro  was 
very  careful  to  answer  no  further  than  he  was 
asked — Frank  finally  gleaned  the  whole  par- 
ticulars. One  piece  of  information  troubled 
him  not  a  little,  and  that  was,  an  attempt  was 
soon  to  be  made  to  blow  up  the  Trenton.  He 
also  learned  the  number  of  the  torpedoes,  the 
manner  of  operating  with  them,  and  other  par- 
ticulars that  will  soon  appear.  He  was  then 
as  much  puzzled  as  ever,  and  paced  the  floor 
of  the  barn,  undecided  how  to  act.  The  time 
set  for  the  sinking  of  the  Trenton  was  Friday 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         181 

night,  (it  was  then  Thursday),  and  as  infor- 
mation of  her  movements  was  every  day  con- 
veyed to  the  rebels,  the  question  was,  how  to 
keep  them  in  ignorance  that  their  plot  had 
been  discovered,  so  that  the  work  might  be 
carried  on  as  usual.  There  was,  apparently,  but 
one  way,  and  that  was  to  hold  out  inducements 
to  the  negro. 

"See  here,"  Frank  suddenly  exclaimed, 
"you  are  between  two  fires  now." 

"I  know  that,"  replied  the  negro,  well  aware 
that  he  was  in  a  most  precarious  situation;  "I 
know  that.  But  what  am  I  to  do?" 

"Well,  this  is  what  you  must  do,"  answered 
Frank;  "go  off  and  attend  to  your  business, 
just  as  you  did  before.  Of  course  you  won't 
be  foolish  enough  to  say  a  word  about  this 
meeting  to  any  one  around  the  plantation ;  but 
if  every  thing  does  not  transpire  to-morrow 
night  just  as  you  said  it  would,  I  shall  think 
that  you  have  been  telling  some  one,  and  that 
the  plot  is  discovered,  and  then  you're  a  goner. 
But  if  you  will  assist  me,  I  will  take  care  of 


182         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

you;  I  will  take  you  on  board  the  ship,  and 
make  a  free  man  of  you." 

The  negro,  who  had  been  worked  up  to  the 
highest  pitch  of  terror  at  the  turn  affairs  were 
taking,  brightened  up  when  the  words  "free 
man"  struck  his  ear,  and  Frank,  who  was  a 
pretty  good  judge  of  human  nature,  could 
easily  read  what  was  passing  in  his  mind,  and 
knew  that  in  the  negro  he  had  a  faithful  co- 
adjutor. 

"Now,  if  you  are  certain  that  you  under- 
stand what  I  mean,"  said  he,  "be  off.  Go  out 
the  back  door,  so  that  no  one  will  see  you  from 
the  house;  and  remember  that  your  freedom 
depends  upon  the  manner  in  which  you  behave 
yourself." 

The  negro  arose  from  the  floor,  and  speedily 
made  his  exit.  After  waiting  long  enough  to 
allow  him  to  reach  the  house,  Frank  and  the 
mate  slipped  out  of  the  front  door.  Giving  the 
negro  quarters  a  wide  berth,  they  approached 
the  house  in  a  different  direction  from  that  in 
which  they  had  left  it. 

The  mate  had  been  instructed  to  keep  the 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         183 

affair  a  profound  secret,  for,  now  that  they 
had  succeeded  in  working  out  so  much  of  the 
plot,  they  wished  to  have  the  honor  of  com- 
pleting it. 

After  a  few  moments'  conversation  with  the 
Frenchman  at  the  house,  they  repaired  on 
board  the  vessel. 

"I  have  returned,  sir,"  said  Frank,  as  he  en- 
tered the  cabin. 

"So  I  see,"  replied  the  captain,  good-humor- 
edly;  "and  have,  I  suppose,  accomplished  noth- 
ing." 

"No,  sir;  I  can't  say  that,"  answered  Frank, 
guardedly.  "I  have  accomplished  consider- 
able. I  know  that  the  Frenchman  is  a  spy; 
that  he  has  daily  communication  with  the 
rebels,  and  that  his  story  of  visiting  his  stock 
in  the  country  is  nonsense.  He  has  about  as 
many  cattle  there  as  I  have." 

"Have  you  indeed  succeeded?"  inquired  the 
captain,  in  surprise. 

"Well,  no,  sir,  not  entirely,"  replied  Frank, 
who  did  not  know  how  much  it  was  best  to  tell 
the  captain.  "I  have  learned  more  than  that, 


184         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

but  it  takes  time  to  complete  the  work.  Be- 
fore I  go  further,  sir,  I  should  like  authority 
to  manage  the  affair  myself.  After  I  have 
gone  as  far  as  I  have,  I  shouldn't  like  to  be 
superseded." 

"That  was  not  my  intention.  No  one  shall 
be  placed  over  you.  If  you  can  accomplish 
any  thing  more,  do  it.  But  what  else  did  you 
hear?" 

Frank  then  related  the  result  of  the  inter- 
view between  himself  and  the  negro,  and  then 
left  the  cabin  with  repeated  assurances  that 
his  plans  for  capturing  the  rebels  should  not 
be  interfered  with. 

The  next  day,  it  seemed  to  Frank,  moved  on 
laggard  wings;  but  afternoon  came  at  length. 
He  then  went  on  shore,  and  after  having 
learned  from  the  negro  that  every  thing  was 
working  as  nicely  as  could  be  wished,  re- 
turned, and  commenced  making  his  prepara- 
tions for  the  night's  work.  At  eight  o'clock  he 
again  left  the  vessel  in  a  small  skiff,  with  two 
negroes  for  a  crew,  and  the  mate  shortly  fol- 
lowed in  the  cutter,  with  twenty  men,  all  well 


PRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         185 

armed.  The  former  held  up  the  river,  and  the 
cutter  pulled  in  an  opposite  direction.  The 
officers  of  the  ship  were,  of  course,  very  much 
surprised  at  these  movements.  As  they  had 
not  been  informed  of  what  was  going  on,  they 
thronged  the  forward  part  of  the  deck,  watch- 
ing the  expedition  as  long  as  it  remained  in 
sight. 

The  night  was  dark  as  pitch,  but  it  could 
not  have  been  better  for  their  purpose;  and 
Frank  was  highly  delighted  at  the  handsome 
manner  in  which  all  his  plans  were  working, 
and  which  promised  complete  success.  He 
held  his  course  up  the  river  until  he  arrived  at 
a  small  creek  whose  mouth  was  almost  con- 
cealed by  thick  bushes  and  trees.  He  boldly 
entered  this  creek,  but  had  not  proceeded  far 
when  a  voice  hailed : 

"Who  comes  there?" 

"Death  to  the  Yankees,"  promptly  replied 
Frank. 

"Why,  you're  half  an  hour  ahead  of  time," 
said  the  voice.  "Didn't  the  Yanks  see  you  as 
you  came  up?*' 


186         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

"I'll  wager  a  good  deal  they  did,"  said  an- 
other voice.  "It  would  be  just  our  luck  to 
have  the  whole  affair  knocked  in  the  head.  But 
we'll  make  the  attempt,  any  way.  Come  up 
here." 

It  was  so  dark  in  the  creek  that  Frank  could 
scarcely  see  his  hand  before  him;  but  he  knew 
pretty  well  who  it  was  addressing  him.  Pull- 
ing up  the  creek,  in  obedience  to  the  order,  he 
came  in  sight  of  a  boat  lying  close  to  the  bank, 
in  the  shade  of  the  bushes  that  hung  out  over 
the  water.  In  this  boat  were  seated  three  men, 
two  of  whom  were  holding  in  their  hands  sev- 
eral ropes  that  led  to  a  dark  object  that  lay 
in  the  water  astern  of  the  skiff. 

"Here's  the  torpedo,"  said  one  of  the  men, 
as  Frank  came  alongside,  and  as  he  spoke  he 
passed  the  ropes  over  to  the  young  officer. 
"Just  drop  silently  down  the  river  as  far  as 
you  can  without  being  discovered,  and  then 
cast  off  the  torpedo,  and  let  it  float  down  on 
to  the  Trenton.  We'll  go  up  on  the  bank  and 
watch  the  experiment." 

"Gentlemen,"  said  Frank,  suddenly  pulling 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         187 

a  brace  of  revolvers  from  his  pocket,  "y°u  are 
my  prisoners." 

As  he  spoke,  the  negroes  threw  down  their 
oars  and  sprang  into  the  skiff.  Before  the 
rebels  could  draw  a  weapon,  they  were  power- 
less in  the  strong  grasp  of  Frank's  sable  co- 
adjutors. The  prisoners  were  the  colonel  and 
major  of  whom  the  negro  at  the  plantation 
had  spoken.  The  third  person  in  the  boat  was 
one  of  the  Frenchman's  slaves,  who  had  rowed 
the  boat  down  the  creek  for  the  rebels.  He 
had  jumped  to  his  feet  as  if  about  to  escape, 
but  had  been  collared  bv  one  of  Frank's  ne- 

V 

groes,  and  thrown  into  the  bottom  of  the  boat, 
where  the  fear  of  the  revolvers  kept  him  quiet. 

"What's  the  meaning  of  all  this?"  asked 
the  colonel,  as  he  struggled  furiously  to  free 
himself. 

"It  means,"  replied  Frank,  coolly,  "that  you 
are  prisoners  in  the  hands  of  those  you  sought 
to  destroy.  So  surrender  yourselves  without 
any  more  fuss.  Make  their  hands  fast,  boys." 

The  negroes,  who  seemed  to  be  well  pre- 
pared, drew  from  their  pockets  several  pieces 


188         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

of  stout  cord,  with  which  they  proceeded  to  tie 
the  arms  of  the  rebels,  who,  rinding  that  es- 
cape was  impossible,  submitted  to  the  opera- 
tion without  any  further  resistance.  As  soon 
as  they  were  secured,  Frank  made  the  torpedo 
fast  to  the  bank,  after  which  he  and  his  men, 
with  the  prisoners,  disembarked,  and  com- 
menced marching  toward  the  house.  They 
had  proceeded  but  a  short  distance  when  they 
received  a  challenge,  to  which  Frank  replied, 
when  they  were  joined  by  three  of  the  crew, 
who  had  been  stationed  on  the  bank  by  the 
mate,  to  capture  the  rebels,  in  case  they  should 
escape  from  his  officer.  The  prisoners  were 
given  into  their  charge,  and  Frank  continued 
his  march  toward  the  house,  congratulating 
himself  that,  although  his  work  was  but  half 
done,  he  had  succeeded  beyond  his  expecta- 
tions. 

The  field  about  the  house  was  silent  as 
death,  but  he  knew  that  the  mate  had  neglected 
none  of  his  instructions,  and  that  trusty  men 
were  hidden  all  around  him,  ready  at  any  mo- 
ment tp,  lend  effective  assistance^  Arriving 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         189 

at  the  door,  he  pounded  loudly  upon  it  with 
the  butt  of  his  revolver.  The  summons  was 
answered  by  the  Frenchman,  who  gazed  upon 
our  hero  with  surprise,  not  unmingled  with  a 
feeling  of  alarm. 

"I'm  glad  to  see  you,"  said  Frank.  "You're 
just  the  chap  I  want." 

The  Frenchman  comprehended  at  once  that 
he  had  been  betrayed.  Drawing  a  pistol,  he 
leveled  it  full  at  Frank's  head,  but  before  he 
had  time  to  fire,  a  blow  from  a  saber  in  the 
hands  of  one  of  the  negroes,  who  had  followed 
close  behind  Frank,  knocked  the  weapon  from 
his  grasp.  The  next  moment  the  back  door 
of  the  room  was  suddenly  opened,  and  the 
Frenchman  was  clasped  in  the  sturdy  arms  of 
the  mate. 

"Give  him  to  some  of  the  men,  Jack,"  said 
Frank,  "and  then  follow  me  quick,  or  we  may 
be  too  late." 

The  order  was  obeyed,  and  the  mate,  accom- 
panied by  the  two  negroes,  followed  Frank, 
who  led  the  way  back  to  the  creek  where  the 
torpedo  had  been  captured.  They  were  just 


190         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

in  the  "nick  of  time,"  for,  as  they  approached, 
they  distinctly  heard  a  voice  inquire : 

"Where's  the  colonel?  Here's  the  torpedo, 
made  fast  to  the  bank.  I  wonder  if  there  is 
any  thing  wrong?" 

Frank  and  the  mate  at  once  became  more 
cautious  in  their  movements,  but  their  approach 
had  already  been  discovered,  for  the  lieutenant 
called  out: 

"Who  goes  there?" 

"Yankees,"  replied  Frank,  stepping  out 
from  the  bushes,  with  a  revolver  in  each  hand. 
"Come  out  here,  and  surrender!" 

The  rebel  was  taken  so  completely  by  sur- 
prise that  he  seemed  deprived  of  all  power  of 
action.  He  could  hardly  realize  that  he  was  a 
prisoner,  until  Frank  repeated  his  order  in  a 
more  decided  manner,  adding,  "I'm  a  good  shot 
at  that  distance."  The  lieutenant  evidently  did 
not  doubt  this,  for  he  arose  to  his  feet,  and 
sprang  out  upon  the  bank.  The  prisoners 
having  now  all  been  secured,  Frank  collected 
his  men  and  returned  on  board  his  vessel. 

We  will  now  pause  to  explain.    Frank,  as 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         191 

we  have  seen,  had  learned  from  the  negro 
that  one  of  the  torpedoes  would  be  finished 
by  Friday  night ;  that  it  was  to  be  towed  down 
the  creek  to  the  river  by  the  colonel  and  major, 
who  were  to  put  it  in  working  order,  and  de- 
liver it  to  the  lieutenant,  who,  with  two  ne- 
groes to  row  his  boat,  was  to  leave  the  plan- 
tation at  half-past  eight  o'clock,  to  note  the 
exact  position  of  the  Trenton,  so  that,  after 
getting  the  torpedo  into  position,  he  could 
allow  it  to  float  down  upon  the  vessel.  The 
Frenchman  was  to  be  on  board,  and,  with  the 
assistance  of  the  negroes,  was  to  capture  any 
who  might  escape  the  explosion.  Frank  had 
laid  his  plans  to  capture  the  lieutenant  first; 
but,  through  fear  of  creating  a  disturbance,  or 
being  seen  from  the  house,  he  had  been  com- 
pelled to  abandon  the  idea,  and  had  started 
half  an  hour  earlier,  that  he  might  secure  the 
lieutenant  after  the  capture  of  the  others  had 
been  effected,  and  before  he  would  have  time 
to  discover  that  any  thing  was  wrong.  His 
plans  had  all  worked  so  admirably,  that  he 
was  not  a  little  elated  with  his  success.  It  was 


192         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

a  happy  moment  for  him  when  he  brought  his 
prisoners  over  the  side  of  the  vessel,  and  con- 
ducted them  to  the  quarter-deck,  where  the 
captain  and  all  the  officers  were  waiting  to 
receive  them.  The  necessary  explanations 
were  soon  given,  after  which  the  prisoners  were 
ordered  below,  and  Frank  retired  to  his  room, 
well  satisfied  with  his  night's  work. 

The  next  morning  an  expedition  went 
ashore,  accompanied  by  the  captain.  After 
destroying  the  torpedo  which  had  been  cap- 
tured the  night  before,  they  were  conducted 
by  the  negro  to  the  place  where  several  more 
were  in  process  of  completion.  These  also 
were  demolished.  While  thus  engaged,  one  of 
the  sentinels,  which  Frank  had  posted  a  short 
distance  up  the  road,  fired  his  gun,  and  com- 
menced retreating.  Frank  at  once  formed  his 
men  in  line,  in  readiness  for  an  attack.  Short- 
ly afterward  a  company  of  cavalry  came  gal- 
loping around  a  bend  in  the  road,  and  fired 
their  carbines  at  the  sentinel,  who  ran  for  dear 
life.  They  halted,  however,  on  seeing  the  prep- 
arations made  to  receive  them,  and  the  cap- 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         193 

tain,  taking  advantage  of  this,  ordered  Frank 
to  fire.  The  muskets  cracked  in  rapid  succes- 
sion, and,  when  the  smoke  cleared  away,  the 
sailors  saw  several  riderless  horses  galloping 
about,  showing  that  their  fire  had  been  ef- 
fective. 

The  rebels  scattered  in  all  directions,  and, 
dismounting,  concealed  themselves  behind  logs 
and  bushes,  and  commenced  fighting  in  their 
regular  Indian  fashion.  The  captain,  know- 
ing that  such  an  action  would  not  result  ad- 
vantageously to  him,  and  having  accomplished 
the  work  for  which  he  had  set  out,  ordered  the 
sailors  to  fall  back  slowly.  As  they  obeyed, 
the  rebels  commenced  pursuing;  but  the  expe- 
dition reached  the  river  without  the  loss  of  a 
single  man.  The  officer  in  command  of  the 
vessel,  hearing  the  firing,  commenced  shelling 
the  woods,  and  under  the  cover  of  this  fire  the 
sailors  reached  the  ship  in  safety. 

The  work  which  had  been  assigned  the  Tren- 
ton had  not  been  accomplished,  but  as  the  time 
allotted  for  her  stay  had  expired,  she  started 
the  next  morning  to  join  the  fleet  at  Yazoo 


194         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

River.  The  prisoners  were  delivered  over  to 
the  commanding  naval  officer — the  admiral 
being  below  the  batteries — to  whom  a  flatter- 
ing mention  was  made  of  Frank,  and  the  skill- 
ful manner  in  which  he  had  performed  his 
work.  The  young  officer  received  the  assur- 
ance that  his  gallant  exploit  should  not  be 
overlooked. 


CHAPTER  XII 

IN   THE   TRENCHES 

THE  day  after  their  arrival  at  Yazoo  River 
an  officer  from  the  flag-ship  came  on  board. 
After  holding  a  short  consultation  with  the 
captain,  the  order  was  given  to  get  the  ship 
under  way,  when,  as  soon  as  the  anchor  was 
weighed,  they  steamed  down  the  river.  What 
could  be  the  meaning  of  this  new  move?  Were 
their  services  needed  below  Vicksburg,  and 
were  they  about  to  imitate  the  Queen  of  the 
West,  and  run  by  the  batteries  in  broad  day- 
light? That  hardly  seemed  to  be  the  case,  for 
the  men  were  not  called  to  quarters,  and  the 
officers  were  allowed  to  remain  on  deck. 
Every  one  was  excited,  and  many  were  the 
speculations  indulged  in  as  to  what  was  to  be 
the  next  duty  the  Trenton  would  be  called  on 
to  perform.  To  the  impatient  men,  the  seven 

195 


196         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

miles  that  lay  between  Yazoo  River  and  Vicks- 
burg  seemed  lengthened  into  a  hundred;  but 
at  length  they  rounded  the  point  above  the 
mouth  of  the  canal,  and  saw  before  them  the 
Sebastopol  of  the  Rebellion.  It  was  the  first 
time  Frank  had  ever  seen  the  city,  and  it  was 
a  sight  that  he  would  not  have  missed  for  a 
good  deal.  On  the  heights  above  the  city,  and 
even  in  the  streets,  the  little  mounds  of  earth 
thrown  up  showed  where  rebel  cannon  were 
mounted,  and  now  and  then  a  puff  of  smoke 
would  rise  from  one  of  these  mounds,  and  a 
shell  would  go  shrieking  toward  the  solid 
lines  of  the  besiegers,  which  now  completely 
inclosed  the  rebels,  while  an  occasional  roar  of 
heavy  guns  told  them  that  the  iron-clads  still 
kept  close  watch  on  the  movements  of  the 
enemy  below. 

The  right  of  the  army  rested  on  the  river, 
above  the  city,  and  here  the  Trenton  landed, 
just  out  of  range  of  the  batteries.  Prepara- 
tions were  at  once  made  to  move  some  of  the 
guns  on  shore.  The  ones  selected  were  those 
belonging  to  Frank's  division,  and  they  were 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         197 

to  be  mounted  in  the  batteries  above  the  city, 
and  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  river. 
It  was  something  of  a  task  to  move  the  bat- 
tery that  distance,  but  Frank  and  his  men 
worked  incessantly,  and  on  the  second  night 
the  guns  were  brought  to  the  place  where  it 
was  proposed  to  mount  them.  The  sailors, 
although  almost  exhausted,  at  once  com- 
menced throwing  up  a  battery;  but  as  soon  as 
the  day  dawned,  a  couple  of  shells,  whistling 
over  their  heads,  admonished  them  that  it 
was  time  to  cease.  After  a  hearty  breakfast 
on  the  rations  they  had  brought  with  them, 
the  men  lay  down  in  the  trenches,  and, 
wearied  with  their  night's  work,  slept  soundly, 
in  spite  of  the  roar  of  cannon  and  the  rattling 
of  musketry  that  had  commenced  as  soon  as 
it  became  light  enough  for  the  combatants  to 
distinguish  each  other.  But  life  in  the 
trenches  was  a  new  thing  to  Frank,  and  he 
walked  through  the  rifle-pits,  everywhere 
cordially  greeted  by  the  soldiers,  who  liked 
the  looks  of  these  big  guns,  with  which  they 
knew  he  had  something  to  do,  and  who  made 


198         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

their  boasts  that,  as  soon  as  the  "beauties" 
were  mounted  and  in  position,  they  would 
"square  accounts"  with  the  rebels.  There 
was  one  gun  in  particular  that  annoyed  the 
soldiers  exceedingly,  and  prevented  them  from 
working  on  the  trenches.  Every  time  a  shell 
flew  over  their  heads,  they  would  exclaim, 
"Shoot  away  there,  for  this  is  your  last  day;" 
and  Frank  was  obliged  to  promise,  over  and 
over  again,  that  his  first  care  should  be  to  dis- 
mount that  gun. 

Frank  found  that,  the  further  he  went,  the 
nearer  the  rifle-pits  approached  to  the  city; 
and  finally  he  came  to  a  group  of  soldiers  who 
appeared  to  be  conversing  with  some  invisible 
persons.  As  he  approached,  he  heard  a  voice, 
which  seemed  to  come  from  the  ground,  al- 
most at  his  side,  exclaim: 

"I  say,  Yank,  throw  over  your  plug  of  to- 
bacco, won't  you?" 

"Can't  see  it,  Johnny,"  replied  one  of  the 
soldiers.  "You  wouldn't  throw  it  back  again." 

"Yes,  I  will,  honor  bright,"  answered  the 
rebel. 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         199 

"Why,"  exclaimed  Frank,  in  surprise,  "I 
didn't  know  that  you  had  pushed  your  lines 
so  close  to  the  enemy's  works!" 

"Yes,"  said  a  lieutenant,  who  at  this  mo- 
ment came  up,  "there's  a  rebel  rifle-pit  not 
four  feet  from  you." 

"Here,"  said  a  soldier,  handing  Frank  his 
gun,  "put  your  cap  on  this  bayonet  and  hold  it 
up,  and  you'll  soon  see  how  far  off  they  are." 

Frank  did  as  the  soldier  suggested.  The 
moment  he  raised  his  cap  above  the  rifle-pit,  a 
bayonet  was  suddenly  thrust  out,  and  when 
it  was  drawn  in,  his  cap  went  with  it. 

"Now,  look  at  that!"  exclaimed  Frank. 
"It's  very  provoking!" 

"Aha,  Yank,  you're  minus  that  head-piece," 
shouted  a  voice,  which  was  followed  by  a  roar 
of  laughter  from  the  rebels,  and  from  all  the 
soldiers  in  the  rifle-pit  who  had  witnessed  the 
performance. 

"I'm  sorry,  sir,"  said  the  soldier.  "I  did 
not  want  you  to  lose  your  cap."  Then,  raising 
his  voice,  he  shouted — "Johnny,  throw  that 
cap  back  here!" 


200         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

"O,  no,"  answered  the  rebel;  "but  I'll 
trade  with  you.  A  fair  exchange  is  no  rob- 
bery, you  know;"  and  as  he  spoke  a  hat  came 
sailing  through  the  air,  and  fell  into  the  rifle- 
pit.  It  was  a  very  dilapidated  looking  affair, 
bearing  unmistakable  proofs  of  long  service 
and  hard  usage. 

"Say,  Yank,"  continued  the  rebel,  "do  you 
see  a  hole  in  the  crown  of  that  hat?" 

"Do  you  call  this  thing  a  hat?"  asked  Frank, 
lifting  the  article  in  question  on  the  point  of 

« 

his  sword,  and  holding  it  up  to  the  view  of 
the  soldiers.  "It  bears  about  as  much  resem- 
blance to  a  hat  as  it  does  to  a  con°ee-pot." 

"I  don't  care  what  you  call  it,"  returned 
the  rebel;  "I  know  it  has  seen  two  years'  hard 
service.  That  hole  you  see  in  the  crown  was 
made  by  one  of  your  bullets,  and  my  head  was 
in  the  hat  at  the  time,  too." 

"Well,  throw  me  my  cap,"  said  Frank;  "I 
don't  want  to  trade." 

"What  will  you  give?" 

"We  will  return  your  hat,  and  give  you  a 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG        201 

big  chew  of  tobacco  to  boot,"  said  the  lieu- 
tenant. 

"That's  a  bargain,"  said  the  rebel.  "Let's 
have  it." 

"We  are  not  doing  a  credit  business  on  this 
side  of  the  house,"  answered  Frank.  "You 
throw  over  my  cap  first." 

"You're  sure  you  don't  intend  to  swindle 
a  fellow?  Upon  your  honor,  now." 

"Try  me  and  see,"  replied  Frank,  with  a 
laugh. 

"Here  you  are,  then;"  and  the  missing  cap 
was  thrown  into  the  rifle-pit,  and  a  soldier 
restored  it  to  its  owner.  It  was  rather  the 
worse  for  its  short  sojourn  in  the  rebel  hands, 
for  there  was  a  bayonet  hole  clear  through  it. 

"Say,  you  rebel,"  exclaimed  Frank,  "why 
didn't  you  tell  me  that  you  had  stuck  a  bayo- 
net into  my  cap?" 

"Couldn't  help  it,  Yank,"  was  the  answer. 
"Come  now,  I've  filled  my  part  of  the  con- 
tract, so  live  up  to  your  promise.  Remember, 
you  said  honor  bright." 

"Well,  here's  your  hat,"  replied  Frank;  and 


202         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

he  threw  the  article  in  question  over  to  its  rebel 
owner. 

"And  here's  your  tobacco,  Johnny,"  chimed 
in  a  soldier,  who  cut  off  a  huge  piece  of  the 
weed,  and  threw  it  after  the  hat. 

"Yank,  you're  a  gentleman,"  said  the  rebel, 
speaking  in  a  thick  tone,  which  showed  that 
the  much  coveted  article  had  already  found  its 
way  into  his  mouth.  "If  I've  got  any  thing 
you  want,  just  say  so,  and  you  can  have  it; 
any  thing  except  my  weapons." 

Frank,  who  was  so  much  amused  at  what 
had  just  taken  place  that  he  laughed  until  his 
jaws  ached,  returned  his  mutilated  cap  to  his 
head,  and,  in  company  with  the  lieutenant, 
continued  his  ramble  among  the  rifle-pits,  the 
latter  explaining  the  operations  of  the  siege, 
and  the  various  incidents  that  had  transpired 
since  it  commenced.  The  rifle-pits,  the  entire 
length  of  General  Sherman's  command,  were 
close  upon  those  of  the  rebels,  and  the  sol- 
diers of  both  sides  were  compelled  to  suspend 
operations  almost  entirely.  If  a  man  raised 
his  head  to  select  a  mark  for  his  rifle,  he  would 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         203 

find  a  rebel,  almost  within  reach,  on  the  watch 
for  him.  The  soldiers  were  very  communica- 
tive, and  all  along  the  line  Frank  saw  groups  of 
men  holding  conversation  with  their  invisible 
enemies. 

After  viewing  the  works  to  his  satisfaction, 
Frank  accompanied  the  lieutenant  to  his  quar- 
ters— a  rude  hut,  which  had  been  hastily  built 
of  logs  and  branches,  situated  in  a  deep  hol- 
low, out  of  reach  of  the  enemy's  shells.  Here 
he  ate  an  excellent  dinner,  and  then  retraced 
his  steps,  through  the  rifle-pits,  back  to  the 
place  where  his  battery  was  to  be  mounted. 
Throwing  himself  upon  a  blanket,  he  slept 
soundly  until  night. 

As  soon  as  it  became  dark,  the  work  of 
mounting  the  guns  commenced,  and  was  com- 
pleted in  time  to  allow  the  weary  men  two 
hours'  rest  before  daylight.  Frank  had  charge 
of  one  of  the  guns,  and  an  ensign  attached  to 
one  of  the  iron-clads  commanded  the  other. 
The  whole  was  under  the  command  of  the  cap- 
tain of  the  Trenton.  As  soon  as  the  enemy's 
lines  could  be  discerned,  Frank,  in  accordance 


204.         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

with  the  promises  made  the  day  before,  pre- 
pared to  commence  the  work  of  dismounting 
the  battery  which  had  given  the  soldiers  so 
much  trouble.  He  pointed  his  gun  himself, 
and  gave  the  order  to  fire.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  now  and  then  a  musket-shot,  or  the 
occasional  shriek  of  a  shell  as  it  went  whistling 
into  the  rebel  lines,  the  night  had  been  re- 
markably quiet,  and  the  roar  that  followed 
Frank's  order  awoke  the  echoes  far  and  near, 
causing  many  a  soldier  to  start  from  his  blanket 
in  alarm.  A  shell  from  the  other  gun  quick- 
ly followed,  and  the  soldiers,  as  soon  as  they 
learned  that  the  "gun-boat  battery"  had 
opened  upon  the  rebel  works,  broke  out  into 
deafening  cheers.  They  had  great  confidence 
in  the  "beauties,"  as  they  called  the  monster 
guns,  for  they  had  often  witnessed  the  effect 
of  their  shells,  and  knew  that  those  who 
worked  them  well  understood  their  business. 
Frank  had  opened  the  ball,  and  in  less  than 
half  an  hour  the  firing  became  general  all 
along  the  line.  The  gun  against  which  their 
fire  was  directed  replied  briskly ;  but  after  a 


few  rounds  the  battery  got  its  exact  range — 
an  eight-inch  shell  struck  it,  and  it  disap- 
peared from  sight.  Cheers,  or,  rather,  regular 
"soldier-yells" — a  noise  that  is  different  from 
every  other  sound,  and  which  can  not  be 
uttered  except  by  those  who  have  "served  their 
time"  in  the  army — arose  the  whole  length  of 
the  line,  as  the  soldiers  witnessed  the  effect  of 
the  shot,  and  knew  that  their  old  enemy  would 
trouble  them  no  more. 

In  obedience  to  the  captain's  order,  the  fire 
of  the  battery  was  then  directed  toward  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  rebel  works.  The  "beau- 
ties" performed  all  that  the  soldiers  had  ex- 
pected of  them,  for  they  were  well  handled, 
and  the  huge  shells  always  went  straight  to 
the  mark.  At  dark  the  firing  ceased,  and 
Frank,  tired  with  his  day's  work,  ate  a  hearty 
supper,  and  threw  himself  upon  his  blanket 
to  obtain  a  few  moments'  rest. 

The  soldiers  from  all  parts  of  the  line  at 
length  began  to  crowd  into  the  battery,  ex- 
amining every  part  of  the  guns,  and  listening 
to  the  explanations  given  by  the  old  quarter- 


206         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

gunner,  who,  although  almost  tired  out,  was 
busy  cleaning  the  guns,  and  could  not  think 
of  rest  until  the  battery  had  been  put  in  readi- 
ness for  use  on  the  morrow.  At  length  a  man 
approached  the  spot  where  Frank  was  repos- 
ing, and,  seating  himself  at  his  side,  com- 
menced an  interesting  conversation.  Frank 
soon  learned  that  his  visitor  was  one  of  the 
most  noted  scouts  in  the  Union  army.  He  was 
a  tall,  broad-shouldered  man,  straight  as  an 
arrow,  and  evidently  possessed  a  great  deal 
of  muscular  power.  Though  ragged  and  dirty, 
like  his  companions,  there  was  something 
about  him  that  at  once  attracted  Frank.  His 
actions  were  easy  and  graceful,  and  he  had 
an  air  of  refinement,  which  was  observed  by 
every  one  with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  He 
was  serving  as  a  private  in  his  regiment,  and, 
although  frequently  urged  to  accept  a  com- 
mand, always  declined,  for  he  despised  the 
inactivity  of  camp  life,  and  delighted  in  any 
thing  in  which  there  was  danger  and  excite- 
ment. It  was  hinted  that  he  had  seen  some 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         207 

hard  times  during  his  career  as  a  scout.  At 
length,  when  the  conversation  began  to  flag, 
one  of  the  soldiers  asked  for  a  story,  and  the 
scout,  after  lighting  his  pipe,  settled  back  on 
his  elbow,  and  began  as  follows: 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE  SCOUT'S  STORY 

"BoYS,  the  life  of  a  scout  is  the  most  fasci- 
nating, as  well  as  the  most  dangerous  one  that 
I  know  of.  It  is  a  responsible  one,  too,  for  not 
unfrequently  the  safety  and  well-being  of  the 
entire  army  depends  upon  our  reports.  If, 
while  we  are  roaming  about  the  enemy's  camp, 
we  are  deceived  in  regard  to  their  numbers 
and  position,  and  our  commanding  officer, 
judging  by  our  reports,  thinks  himself  able 
to  surprise  and  defeat  them,  and  if,  upon  mak- 
ing the  attack,  he  finds  that  he  has  been  mis- 
led, we  are  responsible;  at  least  that  is  the 
way  I  have  always  looked  at  the  matter;  and 
many  a  time  I  have  misrepresented  cases,  and 
have,  no  doubt,  been  the  cause  of  allowing  the 
rebels  to  escape,  when  they  might  easily  have 
been  beaten,  knowing  that  our  hot-headed 

208 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         209 

commander  would  order  an  attack,  no  matter 
how  small  the  chance  for  success  might  be. 

"Just  before  we  started  on  the  campaign 
that  resulted  in  the  capture  of  Fort  Donelson, 
I  was  detailed  to  scout  for  head-quarters ;  and 
one  day,  while  lying  in  my  tent,  heartily  wish- 
ing that  a  move  would  be  made  which  would 
put  an  end  to  the  lazy  life  I  was  compelled 
to -lead,  one  of  the  general's  staff -officers  en- 
tered, accompanied  by  a  youth,  whom  he  in- 
troduced to  me  as  Mr.  Henderson,  and 
informed  me  that  he  was  to  be  my  'partner.' 

'  'He  my  partner!'  I  ejaculated.  'Is  he  a 
scout?  What  does  he  know  about  soldiering?' 

"The  new-comer  was  rather  below  the  me- 
dium height,  very  slimly  built,  with  soft,  white 
hands,  that  looked  as  though  they  had  never 
been  accustomed  to  hard  work,  and  a  smooth, 
beardless  face.  He  seemed  very  much  out  of 
place  among  our  rough  soldiers. 

'  'I  don't  know  much  about  scouting,  that's 
a  fact/  said  he,  with  a  laugh.  'But  I  know 
every  inch  of  the  country,  and  can  use  a  rifle. 
I  have  been  knocked  about  considerably  since 


210         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

the  war  commenced,  and  my  father  was  hanged 
in  Tennessee  for  being  a  Union  man,  and  I 
suffered  all  sorts  of  hardships  before  I  suc- 
ceeded in  making  my  escape.' 

"The  officer  left  us  together,  and,  in  spite 
of  the  chagrin  I  felt  that  a  mere  stripling  had 
been  sent  to  me  for  an  associate,  I  was  soon 
deeply  interested  in  him,  for  with  his  almost 
childlike  simplicity  there  was  mingled  an  air 
of  confidence  in  his  own  powers  which  drew 
me  irresistibly  toward  him.  He  told  me  his 
history,  and  when  he  dwelt  on  the  cruelty  with 
which  the  rebels  had  treated  Union  men  in 
Tennessee,  and  related,  in  a  subdued  voice,  the 
particulars  of  his  father's  death,  his  slight 
frame  quivered  with  excitement,  and  his  fingers 
twitched  convulsively,  as  if  he  felt  the  perpe- 
trators of  the  deed  in  his  grasp.  He  seemed 
to  have  the  real  grit  in  him,  and  I  finally  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  I  had  mistaken  my  man. 
I  soon  learned  it  was  so,  for,  the  very  first 
time  we  got  on  a  scout  together,  I  found  that 
he  was  made  of  the  right  stuff,  and  I  began  to 
have  a  great  deal  of  confidence  in  my  youthful 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

companion.  I  don't  believe  he  knew  what  fear 
was.  He  was  a  splendid  shot  and  an  excellent 
rider ;  in  fact,  he  seemed  to  be  out  of  his  element 
unless  he  was  in  the  saddle. 

"The  first  time  that  Sam  (for  that  was  my 
companion's  name)  had  a  chance  to  show  his 
qualities  was  after  the  battle  of  Pittsburg 
Landing.  One  night,  just  after  dark,  we  set 
out  on  horseback  to  watch  the  movements  of 
the  enemy.  We  were  dressed  in  our  rebel  uni- 
form, and  provided  with  passes  which  would 
carry  us  through  our  lines.  The  night  was 
dark  and  cloudy,  but  Sam,  who  knew  the  road 
like  a  book,  took  the  lead.  We  had  proceeded 
in  this  manner  about  four  miles,  scarcely  say- 
ing a  word  to  each  other,  when  suddenly,  as 
we  came  around  a  bend  in  the  road,  we  found 
ourselves  close  upon  a  picket  station.  Several 
men  were  lying  around  a  fire,  eating  their  sup- 
per; and  the  reason  why  we  had  not  dis- 
covered them  sooner  was  on  account  of  the 
thick  trees  and  bushes,  which  completely  con- 
cealed the  glare  of  the  fire  from  any  one  com- 
ing down  the  road.  How  we  had  succeeded 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

in  passing  the  sentries,  which  were  posted 
some  distance  from  the  station,  is  still  a  mys- 
tery to  me.  Either  our  advance  had  been  so 
still  that  they  had  not  heard  us,  or  else  the 
sentries  were  asleep;  at  any  rate,  we  were 
within  the  enemy's  lines  before  we  knew  it, 
and  in  something  of  a  scrape.  If  we  under- 
took to  retreat,  besides  running  the  risk  of  be- 
ing shot  by  the  men  at  the  fire,  we  should  be 
obliged  to  pass  the  sentries,  and  we  might  not 
succeed,  for  the  clatter  of  our  horses'  hoofs 
would  certainly  alarm  them.  The  only  way 
was  to  ride  up  to  the  fire  and  put  a  bold  face 
on  the  matter,  which  we  did,  the  rebels  suppos- 
ing that,  as  we  had  passed  the  sentries,  we 
were  all  right.  They  at  once  took  us  for  some 
of  their  scouts,  and  one  of  them  inquired: 

"  'How  are  the  Yanks?' 

"'They're  there/  I  replied.  'And  you'll 
have  to  haul  in  these  picket  posts  before  long, 
or  I  am  mistaken.' 

'  'How  is  that  sentry  out  there?'  asked  the 
lieutenant  in  command. 

'  'O,  he's  all  right,'  I  answered,  and  seating 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

myself  at  the  fire,  began  to  pitch  into  the  eat- 
ables. Sam  followed  my  example,  and  we  en- 
joyed a  very  good  meal,  after  which  we 
smoked  a  pipe,  and  talked  with  our  compan- 
ions about  the  probability  of  soon  thrashing 
the  Yankees  soundly,  and  wishing  that  we 
were  in  the  Eastern  army,  that  we  might  have 
the  honor  of  carrying  the  secesh  rag  into 
Philadelphia  and  all  the  other  large  cities  at 
the  North.  We  also  received  some  very  valu- 
able information  in  regard  to  the  rebels  and 
their  intended  movements;  and  finally,  con- 
cluding that  the  general  must  be  looking  for 
us,  we  bade  the  pickets  good-by,  mounted  our 
horses,  and  galloped  down  the  road  toward  the 
rebel  camp.  As  soon  as  we  thought  we  had 
gone  far  enough  to  deceive  the  pickets,  we 
turned  off  from  the  road  and  started  through 
the  woods,  intending  to  take  a  wide  circuit, 
pass  the  pickets,  and  start  back  for  our  own 
camp.  We  stumbled  about  through  the  woods 
for  nearly  an  hour,  and  finally  struck  a  road 
that  appeared  to  run  at  right  angles  with  the 
one  we  had  just  left.  This  we  followed  at  a 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

rapid  gallop  for  about  a  mile,  when  Sam 
pointed  out  a  light  that  appeared  to  be  shining 
in  the  window  of  a  house  ahead  of  us.  We  at 
once  determined  to  reconnoiter,  and  rode 
slowly  forward  for  that  purpose,  walking  our 
horses  on  the  grass  at  the  side  of  the  road,  so 
that  our  advance  would  be  noiseless.  We  had 
gone  but  a  short  distance  when  we  were  halted. 
To  the  challenge,  'Who  comes  there?'  Sam  re- 
plied, 'Scouts/  and  throwing  me  his  rein,  he 
swung  himself  from  his  saddle,  whispering: 

'  'Hold  on  a  minute,  Bill !  Let  me  manage 
that  fellow;'  and  before  I  could  say  a  word  he 
had  disappeared  in  the  darkness. 

"Several  moments  passed,  when  I  again 
heard  his  voice,  and  riding  forward,  wonder- 
ing how  he  had  'managed'  the  sentinel,  I  was 
surprised  to  see  him  with  a  musket  in  his  hand, 
pacing  back  and  forth  across  the  road.  I  in- 
stantly understood  what  had  transpired,  and 
leading  the  horses  cautiously  into  the  bushes  at 
the  side  of  the  road,  I  fastened  them  there,  and 
then  returned  to  Sam. 

'  'I  couldn't  help  it,  Bill,'  he  whispered,  as 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         215 

I  came  up.  'I  meant  to  capture  him  and  com- 
pel him  to  give  us  some  information;  but  he 
fought  so  desperately  that  I  had  to  settle  him 
to  save  myself.' 

'  'It  can't  be  helped;  such  things  are  not 
uncommon  in  war  times.  Now  you  play  the 
part  of  sentry  here  until  some  one  passes,  and 
you  can  find  out  what  the  countersign  is. 
Then  I'll  go  up  to  the  house  and  reconnoiter.' 

"I  then  lay  down  by  the  side  of  the  road, 
and  in  a  few  moments  Sam  whispered: 

'  'Bill,  I  wonder  what's  the  number  of  this 
post?' 

'  'I'm  sure  I  don't  know,'  I  replied. 

'Well,  how  am  I  going  to  find  out?'  he 
inquired.  'If  some  one  should  happen  to  come 
along  without  the  countersign,  and  I  should 
want  to  call  the  corporal,  I  would  be  in  a  nice 
fix,  wouldn't  I?' 

"Sam  said  this  in  such  a  perfectly  cool  and 
unconcerned  manner,  that  I  could  not  help 
admiring  him. 

"Just  then  I  heard  a  faint  shout: 


216         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

"  'Twelve  o'clock!  Number  one.  All's 
well.' 

'There,'  I  whispered ;  'the  sentries  are  pass- 
ing the  call.    Now  look  sharp.' 

"The  call  passed  the  round  of  sentinels,  until 
number  eight  was  called,  but  a  short  distance 
from  us.  Then  came  a  pause. 

'  'Sam,  you're  number  nine,'  I  hurriedly 
whispered. 

"  'Number  nine;  and  all's  well!'  shouted  Sam 
at  the  top  of  his  lungs.  'So  far,  so  good,'  he 
continued,  in  a  low  voice.  'Now  I  guess  we're 
all  right.  Halt !'  he  shouted,  hearing  the  sound 
of  horses'  hoofs  rapidly  advancing.  The  horse- 
man at  once  drew  rein,  and  at  Sam's  challenge, 
answered : 

"  'Colonel  Peckham.' 

'  'Dismount,  Colonel  Peckham,  and  give  the 
countersign.' 

'  'Look  here,  my  man,  just  let  me  pass,  will 
you?  Don't  detain  me,  for  I  am  on  important 
business,  and  am  in  a  great  hurry.' 

'  'Halt,'  shouted  Sam  again ;  'dismount.' 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         217 

'  'I  tell  you  I  am  Colonel  Peckham,  com- 
manding  ' 

'  'I  don't  care  what  you  command.  Just 
climb  down  off  that  horse  instantly,  or  I'll  fire 
on  you.  You  shouldn't  go  by  me  if  you  were 
President  Davis  himself.' 

"The  colonel,  seeing  that  entreaty  was  in 
vain,  reluctantly  dismounted  and  gave  the 
countersign,  'Virginia.' 

'The  countersign  is  correct.  Pass,  Colonel 
Peckham,'  said  Sam,  bringing  his  musket 
promptly  to  a  shoulder  arms. 

"After  the  rebel  had  mounted  and  disap- 
peared, I  whispered: 

'  'Now,  Sam,  I'm  going  up  to  that  house. 
Keep  a  sharp  look-out.* 

"After  shaking  his  hand  I  started  toward 
the  place  where  I  had  seen  the  light.  Walking 
carelessly  up  toward  a  group  of  soldiers  who 
were  lounging  about  on  the  ground,  I  glanced 
in  at  the  window,  and  saw  several  officers 
seated  around  a  table,  apparently  engaged  in 
earnest  debate.  I  listened  for  a  few  moments 
to  the  conversation  of  the  men,  and  found  that 


218         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

I  was  two  miles  inside  of  the  rebel  lines.  This 
knowledge  was  something  that  would  not  have 
pleased  me  had  I  been  alone,  for  I  was  wholly 
unacquainted  with  the  country,  but,  knowing 
that  I  had  a  friend  on  whom  I  could  rely,  I 
looked  upon  it  as  merely  a  little  difficulty,  from 
which  I  could  extricate  myself  as  soon  and  as 
easily  as  I  pleased. 

"I  lounged  about,  picking  up  a  good  deal 
of  information,  until  I  heard  the  relief  called, 
and  knowing  that,  unless  we  beat  a  hasty  re- 
treat, we  would  be  discovered,  I  hastened  back 
to  the  place  where  I  had  left  Sam,  and  found 
him  industriously  pacing  his  beat.  I  was 
about  to  bring  out  the  horses,  when  we  heard 
the  clatter  of  hoofs  coming  up  the  road  from 
toward  the  house,  and  I  at  once  concealed  my- 
self. The  answer  to  the  challenge  was  Colonel 
Peckham,  who  was  returning  to  his  command. 
As  he  was  about  to  pass,  I,  thinking  that  it 
would  not  look  well  to  go  back  to  the  camp 
empty-handed,  sprang  out  of  my  concealment 
and  seized  his  reins,  while  Sam,  who  instantly 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         219 

comprehended  what  was  going  on,  placed  his 
bayonet  against  his  breast. 

"  'What  means  this?'  asked  the  colonel. 

"  'Don't  talk  so  much,'  replied  Sam.  'A 
blind  man  could  see  that  you  are  a  prisoner. 
So  hand  over  your  weapons,  and  don't  make 
any  fuss.' 

"As  Sam  spoke,  he  proceeded  to  'sound'  the 
colonel,  and  the  search  resulted  in  the  transfer 
of  two  revolvers  to  hi?  belt.  Then,  throwing 
away  his  musket  and  cartridge-box,  he  sprang 
upon  his  horse,  which  I  had  by  this  time 
brought  out,  and,  seizing  the  colonel's  reins, 
we  started  down  the  road  at  a  full  gallop. 

"We  had  proceeded  scarcely  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  when  we  heard  several  musket-shots  be- 
hind us,  and  we  knew  that  the  relief  had  found 
No.  9  post  vacant,  and  were  alarming  the 
camp.  Sam,  still  holding  fast  to  the  colonel's 
horse,  at  once  turned  off  into  the  woods, 
through  which  we  with  difficulty  worked  our 
way.  At  length,  however,  we  reached  an  open 
field,  which  we  crossed  at  a  gallop,  and,  leap- 
ing our  horses  over  the  fence,  found  ourselves 


220         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

in  the  road  again.  We  had  struck  it  just  out- 
side of  the  rebel  pickets,  who,  hearing  us  gallop 
away,  fired  at  us ;  but  the  bullets  all  went  wide 
of  the  mark,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  we 
reached  our  own  camp,  and  the  prisoner  was 
delivered  over  to  the  general. 

"I  could  relate  many  other  adventures  to 
you,  but,  as  I  have  to  go  on  guard  at  midnight, 
I  must  bid  you  good-night." 

So  saying,  he  arose  from  the  ground,  where 
he  had  been  lying,  and  walked  off  toward  his 
quarters.  One  by  one  the  soldiers,  who  had 
gathered  about  to  listen  to  his  story,  followed 
his  example,  and  finally  Frank  and  the  ensign 
who  had  assisted  him  in  managing  the  battery, 
were  left  alone.  Although  they  had  been  to- 
gether but  two  days,  they  were  on  excellent 
terms  with  each  other;  and  as  Frank  had 
learned  that  his  companion  had  run  by  the 
batteries  at  Vicksburg,  he  was  naturally 
anxious  to  hear  the  details.  The  ensign,  at  his 
urgent  solicitation,  then  told  the  story  of  his 
thrilling  adventures,  which  here  follows. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

RUNNING  THE  BATTERIES 

"!N  obedience  to  orders  from  the  admiral," 
began  the  ensign,  "the  Concord,  with  the 
iron-clads,  commenced  making  preparations  to 
run  the  batteries,  by  greasing  the  casemates 
to  glance  shot,  and  by  protecting  the  ma- 
chinery with  heavy  timbers  and  bales  of  hay. 
When  everything  was  ready,  the  long-looked- 
for  signal  was  made.  The  vessels  took  their 
stations  in  accordance  with  a  general  order 
that  had  been  issued  a  few  days  previous — 
the  Concord,  with  a  coal-barge  in  tow,  being 
the  fourth  in  advance. 

"As  soon  as  the  anchors  were  weighed,  all 
hands  were  called  to  quarters,  the  ports  closed, 
and  every  light  on  board  the  ship,  except  those 
in  the  magazine  and  shell-rooms,  was  extin- 
guished. I  took  my  station  beside  my  men, 

221 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

who  stood  at  their  guns  as  motionless  as  so 
many  statues,  and  in  that  darkness  awaited  the 
issue  of  events,  with  feelings  that  can  not  be 
described.  The  moment  I  had  so  long  been 
dreading  was  fast  approaching.  Would  I  sur- 
vive the  experiment? 

"As  soon  as  the  vessels  were  fairly  under 
way,  the  engines  were  stopped,  and  we  drifted 
along  with  the  current.  Not  a  sound  was 
heard,  except  the  creaking  of  the  wheel  as  the 
pilot  guided  the  vessel  down  stream.  I  be- 
came more  and  more  excited  each  moment, 
until  finally  my  suspense  seemed  greater  than 
I  could  bear.  That  awful  silence  was  worse 
than  the  fight  itself.  I  became  impatient,  and 
strode  up  and  down  the  deck,  anxiously  wait- 
ing for  the  first  roar  of  a  gun  that  should  an- 
nounce that  our  approach  had  been  dis- 
covered. How  I  longed  to  look  out  and  see 
what  progress  we  were  making !  But  the  ports 
had  been  closed,  with  imperative  orders  that 
they  must  not  be  opened  without  the  captain's 
command,  and  I  was  obliged  to  remain  in 
ignorance  of  what  was  going  on  outside. 


PRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

"At  length,  after  remaining  at  our  quarters 
for  nearly  an  hour — to  me  it  seemed  an  age — 
the  loud  roar  of  a  gun  burst  upon  our  ears. 
The  pilot  at  once  rang  the  bell,  to  'go  ahead 
strong,'  and  the  puffing  of  the  engines  told  us 
that  we  were  rapidly  nearing  the  city.  Soon, 
from  another  direction,  came  a  second  report, 
accompanied  by  a  shell  from  'Whistling 
Dick,'  which  went  directly  over  our  heads,  and 
exploded  far  behind  us.  This  was  followed, 
not  by  the  report  of  a  single  cannon,  but  by 
a  crash,  as  if  all  the  artillery  of  heaven  had 
been  let  loose  at  once,  and  shells  and  solid 
shot,  with  a  noise  that  was  almost  deafening. 
It  did  not  seem  possible  that  we  could  succeed 
in  running  by  the  batteries;  besides,  I  was 
very  much  averse  to  being  shut  up  in  that 
manner,  without  the  privilege  of  returning 
shot  for  shot.  The  idea  of  allowing  my  vessel 
to  be  made  a  target  of,  when  so  many  brave 
hearts  were  waiting  impatiently  to  give  as 
good  as  they  received,  did  not  at  all  suit  me. 

"Until  we  reached  the  city,  the  Concord 
escaped  unhurt,  and  I  began  to  think  that  our 


224         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

danger  was  not  so  great  as  I  had  at  first  sup- 
posed, when,  just  as  we  arrived  opposite  the 
upper  batteries,  a  shot  came  crashing  through 
the  sides  of  the  vessel.  The  deck  was  lighted 
up  for  an  instant  with  a  flash,  and  the  groans 
and  shrieks  that  followed  told  that  it  had  been 
too  well  directed.  Confined  as  the  men  were, 
in  total  darkness,  where  it  was  impossible  for 
a  person  to  distinguish  those  who  stood  next 
to  him,  such  an  occurrence  was  well  calculated 
to  throw  them  into  confusion.  I  believe  that 
every  one  on  deck  was  frightened,  but  the 
order,  'Stand  to  your  guns,  lads!'  delivered 
in  a  firm  voice  by  the  executive  officer,  at  once 
put  an  end  to  the  confusion. 

'  'On  deck,  there !'  came  thundering  through 
the  trumpet.  'Open  the  ports,  and  return 
their  fire!' 

"How  my  heart  bounded  when  I  heard  that 
order!  And  the  men,  too,  anxious  to  be  on 
more  equal  terms  with  the  enemy,  sprang  at 
the  word,  the  port-shutters  flew  open  with  a 
crash,  and  the  city  of  Vicksburg  burst  upon 
our  astonished  view. 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         225 

"The  rebels  had  profited  by  their  experi- 
ence, and  instead  of  finding  the  city  shrouded 
in  total  darkness,  as  I  had  expected,  a  glare 
equal  to  the  noonday  sun  lighted  up  both  the 
river  and  the  city,  the  latter  seeming  one  blaze 
of  fire.  The  vessels  in  advance  of  us  were 
rapidly  answering  the  fire  of  the  batteries, 
and  the  waters  of  the  river,  usually  so  quiet 
and  smooth,  were  plowed  in  every  direction 
by  the  shrieking,  hissing  shells.  It  was  a 
magnificent  sight,  one  upon  which  I  could 
have  gazed  with  rapture,  had  I  been  a  dis- 
interested person;  but,  as  it  was,  I  had  no 
time  to  dwell  upon  it. 

'  'Out  with  those  guns — lively!'  shouted  the 
captain.  'Give  the  rascals  as  good  as  they 
send.' 

"For  half  an  hour  the  fight  continued,  the 
rebels  sending  their  shells  thick  and  fast 
about  our  devoted  vessel,  and  we  directing 
our  fire  against  the  water-batteries,  which 
lined  the  shore  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
when  suddenly  the  pilot  rung  the  bell  to  stop, 
which  was  followed  by  a  command  shouted 


226 

down  through  the  trumpet  to  'Back  her — 
quick!'  I  scarcely  noticed  the  circumstance, 
until  one  of  my  men  exclaimed,  in  a  frightened 
voice,  'We  are  drifting  into  the  bank,  sir, 
right  under  the  batteries!' 

"The  appalling  fact  was  too  evident.  We 
were  fast  approaching  the  shore,  and  the  en- 
gines appeared  to  be  working  in  vain  against 
the  strong  current.  A  cry  of  horror  burst 
from  the  lips  of  the  men,  who  deserted  their 
guns,  and  made  a  general  rush  for  the  after 
part  of  the  vessel.  I  was  astounded.  Had  the 
Concord  been  disabled,  and  was  the  captain 
about  to  run  her  ashore  and  surrender?  But 
I  was  not  allowed  much  time  to  ask  questions. 
The  conduct  of  the  men  recalled  me  to  my 
senses,  and,  after  considerable  difficulty,  I  suc- 
ceeded in  bringing  them  all  back  to  their  quar- 
ters. 

'The  vessel  must  have  been  surrendered, 
sir,'  said  one  of  the  men. 

'  'I  can't  help  that.  I've  received  no  orders 
to  cease  firing.  Let  them  have  it.  Powder- 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

boy,  bring  two  eight-inch  canister  as  soon  as 
possible.  Run  lively,  now.' 

"The  vessel  still  continued  to  approach  the 
bank,  and  several  of  the  nearest  batteries 
ceased  firing,  while  the  rebels,  supposing  that 
she  was  about  to  surrender,  came  running 
down  the  bank  in  crowds,  calling  out: 

'  'Have  you  struck  your  flag?' 

'  'No!'  came  the  answer,  in  a  clear  ringing 
voice,  which  I  knew  belonged  to  the  captain. 
'That  flag  floats  as  long  as  one  plank  of  this 
vessel  remains  above  water!' 

"This  reply  was  followed  by  a  shell  from 
one  of  our  broadside  guns,  which  burst  in  the 
very  midst  of  the  crowd  that  was  preparing 
to  board  the  vessel  the  moment  we  touched  the 
bank;  and  by  this  time  the  Concord  began  to 
mind  her  helm,  and  commenced  moving  from 
the  bank.  The  astonished  rebels  hastily  re- 
treated to  the  cover  of  their  breastworks,  and 
I  succeeded  in  getting  my  guns  loaded  in  time 
to  use  the  canister  upon  them.  The  vessel 
soon  got  headed  down  the  river  again,  and  at 
two  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  rounded  to,  out 


228         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

of  reach  of  the  batteries.  The  passage  had 
been  effected  without  material  damage  to  us, 
and  it  was  with  a  light  heart  that  I  repeated 
the  order,  'Secure  your  guns,  lads!'  The 
battle  was  over,  and  after  the  decks  had  been 
cleared,  and  the  wounded  taken  care  of,  the 
dead  were  laid  out  in  the  engine-room,  and 
covered  with  the  flag  in  defense  of  which  they 
had  delivered  up  their  lives.  The  weary  sail- 
ors then  gladly  answered  to  the  order,  'All 
hands  stand  by  your  hammocks,'  and  I  retired 
to  my  room  almost  exhausted,  hut  highly 
elated  at  our  glorious  success." 


CHAPTER  XV 

A  RACE  FOR  THE  OLD  FLAG 

"THE  next  day,"  continued  the  ensign,  "the 
squadron  again  got  under  way  and  steamed 
down  the  river,  and  came  to  anchor  above,  and 
almost  within  range  of,  the  heights  of  Grand 
Gulf.  A  casual  observer  would  hardly  have 
thought  that  the  bluffs  which  arose  so  ma- 
jestically, like  grim  sentinels  watching  over 
the  lesser  heights  around  them,  were  bristling 
with  hostile  batteries,  ready  to  dispute  the 
further  advance  of  the  Union  fleet ;  for,  so  care- 
fully had  they  been  concealed,  that  nothing 
suspicious  could  be  discovered.  But  we  were 
not  deceived.  We  knew  that  the  trees  which 
covered  the  bluffs,  and  waved  so  gently  back 
and  forth  in  the  breeze,  concealed  fortifications 
of  the  most  formidable  kind,  and  that  Union 
blood  must  be  shed  before  they  could  be 

229 


230         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

wrested  from  the  traitorous  hands  that  had 
constructed  them. 

"During  the  week  of  inactivity  that  fol- 
lowed, many  an  impatient  eye  was  directed 
toward  the  heights  which,  now  so  quiet,  were 
soon  to  be  disturbed  by  the  noise  and  confu- 
sion of  battle.  At  length  the  flag-ship  was 
seen  approaching,  and  every  one  was  on  the 
alert.  Two  more  days  of  inactivity  passed, 
however;  but  on  the  third  morning,  just  after 
the  crews  had  finished  their  breakfast,  signal 
was  made  to  commence  the  attack.  The  an- 
chors were  weighed,  the  men  called  to  quar- 
ters, and  the  fleet  bore  down  upon  the  rebel 
stronghold,  which  was  soon  enveloped  in  the 
smoke  of  battle. 

"The  Concord  led  the  advance.  For  two 
hours  the  battle  raged  with  great  fury  on  both 
sides,  the  rebels  stubbornly  holding  their 
ground,  in  spite  of  the  storm  of  shells  that 
thinned  their  ranks  and  tore  up  the  ground 
about  them.  During  this  time  the  Concord 
had  again  become  unmanageable,  on  account 
of  the  strong  eddies  in  the  river,  and  had 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

worked  into  a  position  scarcely  two  hundred 
yards  from  the  batteries,  from  which  she  could 
not  be  extricated.  It  was  impossible  either  to 
advance  or  retreat  without  running  into  the 
bank,  and  if  she  attempted  to  round-to,  her 
destruction  was  certain.  Of  course,  we  below, 
being  busy  fighting  our  guns,  knew  nothing  of 
our  danger ;  but  the  captain,  although  as  brave 
a  man  as  ever  trod  a  ship's  deck,  was  not  a 
little  dismayed  when  he  found  himself  in  this 
perilous  situation.  He  did  not  expect  to 
bring  his  vessel  safely  out  of  the  action,  but  he 
stood  in  the  pilot-house  and  issued  his  orders 
with  as  much  coolness  as  though  he  were  go- 
ing through  the  regular  daily  exercise,  instead 
of  being  under  the  hottest  fire  the  enemy  could 
rain  upon  his  vessel. 

"In  the  mean  time,  I  had  been  sending  my 
shells  as  rapidly  as  possible  toward  the  rebel 
gunners,  whom  I  could  see  moving  about  in 
the  batteries.  Up  to  this  time  not  one  of  my 
men  had  been  injured;  but,  just  as  I  was  in 
the  act  of  sighting  one  of  my  guns,  there  was 
a  stunning  crash,  and  a  vivid  light  shone  for 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

an  instant  in  my  eyes,  accompanied  by  a  ter- 
rific explosion.  I  saw  the  air  filled  with 
smoke  and  splinters,  heard  appalling  cries  of 
terror  and  anguish,  and  then  all  was  blank. 
A  shell  had  entered  the  casemate  above  the 
port,  killing  and  wounding  several  of  my  crew, 
and  a  piece  of  heavy  timber,  which  had  been 
detached  from  the  bulk-head  by  the  explosion, 
struck  me  on  the  head,  and  laid  me  out  sense- 
less on  the  deck. 

"When  I  was  restored  to  consciousness  I 
was  lying  on  a  mattress  in  the  engine-room, 
and  anxious  faces  were  bending  over  me.  I 
remember  of  mistaking  the  doctor  and  his  at- 
tendants for  the  men  belonging  to  my  gun's 
crew,  and  imagining  myself  still  in  battle,  I 
gave  the  order  to  'Train  that  No.  2  gun  a 
little  further  to  the  left,  and  fire;'  then  I  be- 
came insensible  again. 

"About  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  I 
awoke  from  a  refreshing  slumber,  but,  of 
course,  could  not  imagine  how  I  came  to  be 
in  that  situation.  I  felt  of  my  head,  which 
was  covered  with  bandages,  and  of  my  arm, 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         233 

which  was  done  up  in  a  sling,  and  finally  the 
remembrance  of  the  scenes  through  which  I 
had  passed  came  back  to  me  like  a  dream. 

"While  I  was  wondering  how  the  fight  had 
terminated,  and  who  had  come  out  victorious, 
a  sailor,  who  had  been  appointed  to  act  as 
my  nurse,  entered  the  engine-room,  and  ap- 
proached the  bed  on  tip-toe.  From  him  I 
learned  that  the  Concord  had  been  under  fire 
for  five  hours  and  thirty-five  minutes;  that 
we  had  been  only  partially  successful,  not  hav- 
ing silenced  all  the  batteries;  that  the  fleet, 
with  the  exception  of  one  vessel,  which  was 
lying  a  short  distance  above  the  bluff,  and  oc- 
casionally sending  a  shell  into  the  batteries 
to  prevent  the  rebels  from  repairing  the  dam- 
age which  they  had  suffered,  were  at  their  old 
anchorage  again;  that  the  Concord  had  been 
struck  thirty-five  times  by  heavy  shot,  but, 
although  quite  badly  cut  up,  was  not  perma- 
nently injured;  and  that  our  vessel  would  soon 
be  ready  for  action  again,  the  entire  crew  being 
busily  engaged  in  repairing  the  damages  she 
had  sustained. 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

"My  head  and  arm  pained  me  considerably; 
but,  being  under  the  influence  of  some  power- 
ful medicine  which  the  doctor  had  adminis- 
tered, I  soon  fell  asleep,  from  which  I  was 
awakened  by  the  rolling  of  a  drum.  Hastily 
starting  up,  I  found  the  engineers  at  their  sta- 
tions, and  I  knew,  by  the  tramping  of  feet  on 
the  deck  above  me,  that  the  men  were  hurry- 
ing to  their  quarters.  The  'ruling  passion' 
was  strong  with  me.  I  had  grown  so  accus- 
tomed to  yield  prompt  obedience  to  the  call  to 
quarters,  that  I  quite  forgot  I  was  wounded. 
Springing  up,  I  at  once  pulled  on  my  clothes 
— an  operation  which  I  found  rather  difficult 
on  account  of  my  wounded  arm — seized  my 
sword,  which  lay  at  the  head  of  the  bed,  sprang 
up  the  stairs  that  led  to  the  main-deck,  and 
ran  forward  to  take  command  of  my  division. 
As  I  passed  the  door  of  the  dispensary,  I  was 
confronted  by  the  surgeon,  who,  holding  up 
his  hands  in  dismay,  exclaimed: 

'  'Mr.  Morton !    Do  you  know  what  you  are 
about?    Where  are  you  going?' 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         235 

"  'Going  to  quarters,  doctor.  Didn't  you 
hear  that  drum?' 

"  'Get  below,  sir,  instantly,'  was  the  doc- 
tor's answer.  'Get  below!  and  don't  let  me 
catch  you  on  deck  again  until  I  give  you  per- 
mission. Get  below,  I  tell  you,  sir!'  he  con- 
tinued, in  a  louder  tone,  seeing  that  I  hesi- 
tated. 'Haven't  you  got  sense  enough  to 
know  that  you  are  dangerously  wounded?  I 
am  surgeon  of  this  ship,  and  have  authority 
to  enforce  my  commands.' 

"Of  this  I  was  well  aware,  and  I  was 
obliged  to  retrace  my  steps  to  the  engine-room, 
where  I  lay  down  upon  the  bed. 

"The  morning's  fight  having  convinced  the 
admiral  that,  although  the  batteries  had  been 
partially  silenced,  they  could  not  be  com- 
pletely reduced,  without  the  co-operation  of 
the  land  forces,  he  returned  to  his  old  anchor- 
age, for  the  purpose  of  convoying  the  trans- 
ports which  were  to  run  by  the  batteries  and 
ferry  the  troops  across  the  river  below.  The 
latter  followed  close  in  the  wake  of  the  gun- 
boats, on  which  the  batteries  opened  quite  as 


236         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

briskly  as  in  the  morning.  The  iron-clads  re- 
plied, and  under  cover  of  their  fire  the  trans- 
ports passed  the  batteries  in  safety,  after  which 
the  gun-boats  also  ran  by,  and  assisted  in 
carrying  the  troops  across  the  river.  In  this 
fight  the  Concord  was  struck  but  twice,  and 
no  one  was  injured.  As  soon  as  she  had  been 
brought  to  an  anchor,  the  doctor  entered  the 
engine-room,  and,  after  regarding  me  for  a 
moment  with  an  expression  that  I  could  not 
understand,  said: 

'You're  a  nice  one,  ain't  you?' 

'Why,  doctor,  what's  the  matter?'  I  asked. 

'Y9U  don't  wish  to  get  well,  I  guess.' 
'  'O,  yes,  I  do!    But  I  am  not  badly  hurt; 
there  was  nothing  to  hinder  me  from  taking 
my  station.' 

'You  will  allow  me  to  be  the  judge  of  that, 
if  you  please,'  returned  the  doctor.  'But  I 
have  got  a  room  fixed  up  for  you  on  deck.  Do 
you  feel  able  to  walk  up  there?' 

'  'Certainly.    I  am  not  hurt,  I  tell  you,  doc^ 
tor,'  I  repeated.    'I  can  outrun,  out  jump,  or 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         237 

outlift  you;  and  yet  you  take  as  much  care 
of  me  as  though  I  was  badly  wounded.' 

'Well,  you've  got  a  big  hole  in  your  head 
anyhow,'  said  the  doctor,  as  he  took  my  arm, 
and  assisted  me  up  the  stairs,  in  spite  of  my 
assertions  that  I  was  'able  to  walk  alone.' 
'It's  an  ugly-looking  wound.  Just  take  my 
advice  now;  let  me  put  you  on  the  sick-list  for 
a  day  or  two,  and  you  will  be  all  right/ 

'Well,  don't  keep  me  on  the  list  any  longer 
than  is  necessary,'  I  answered,  knowing  that 
I  would  be  compelled  to  submit  to  the  doctor's 
requirements,  whether  I  wanted  to  or  not.  'I 
do  detest  a  life  of  inactivity.  I  want  to  be 
doing  something.' 

"I  was  furnished  with  a  bed  in  the  ward- 
room, for  my  own  quarters  had  been  almost 
demolished  during  the  late  fights,  and  during 
the  two  days  that  followed,  I  passed  the  time 
miserably  enough.  Every  able-bodied  man  on 
board  the  ship  was  engaged  in  repairing  dam- 
ages, while  I,  being  closely  watched  by  the 
doctor,  was  obliged  to  remain  quiet.  My 
wounds  troubled  me  very  little.  On  the  third 


238         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

day  after  the  fight,  to  my  immense  relief,  my 
name  was  taken  off  the  sick-list,  and  I  was  al- 
lowed to  return  to  duty. 

"The  next  morning  after  this,  signal  was 
made  from  the  flag-ship  to  get  under  way,  and 
resume  the  attack  upon  the  batteries  at  Grand 
Gulf.  As  we  approached  the  heights,  a  col- 
umn of  smoke,  which  was  seen  arising  over  the 
trees,  told  us  that  the  rebels  had  abandoned 
their  fortifications.  The  gun-boats  touched  the 
bank  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  at  about  the  same 
moment;  and,  as  the  Concord's  bows  touched 
the  shore,  the  captain  thrust  his  head  from  the 
pilot-house,  and  shouted: 

'  'Get  ashore  there,  you  sea-cooks!  Get 
ashore  there,  and  hoist  the  Concord's  flag  over 
that  fort  on  the  top  of  the  hill!  Off  you  go — 
run  like  quarter  horses!' 

"The  sailors  did  not  need  a  second  bidding, 
but,  leaving  their  quarters,  they  made  a  gen- 
eral rush  for  the  place  where  the  boat-ensigns 
were  stowed,  and  if  one  of  the  men  succeeded 
in  securing  a  flag,  he  was  instantly  seized  by 
half  a  dozen  others,  who  desperately  struggled 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         239 

to  wrest  it  from  him,  that  they  might  have  the 
honor  of  planting  it  upon  the  rebel  heights, 
while  he  struggled  as  furiously  to  retain  it. 
All  discipline  was  at  ah  end.  The  sailors,  wild 
with  excitement,  were  struggling  and  shout- 
ing below,  while  'the  captain  stood  on  the 
quarter-deck,  almost  beside  himself,  for  fear 
that  his  men  would  be  behind,  for  the  crews 
of  each  vessel  were  jumping  ashore,  bearing 
in  their  hands  the  flags  which  they  had  de- 
termined to  plant  upon  the  deserted  fortifica- 
tions. 

"I  stood  at  the  hatchway,  looking  down 
upon  the  struggling  crew  beneath,  regretting 
that  my  wounded  arm — which  still  continued 
to  pain  me  at  intervals — prevented  me  from 
entering  as  a  competitor,  when  I  was  aroused 
by: 

'  'Mr.  Morton!  I  know  you  want  this,  sir.' 

"I  turned,  and  found  one  of  the  quarter- 
masters holding  out  a  flag  to  me. 

'  'Certainly  I  want  it,'  I  answered.  'Thank 
you;'  and  seizing  the  flag,  I  sprang  upon  the 


240         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

hammock-nettings.  At  this  moment  the  doc- 
tor discovered  me,  and  shouted: 

'  'Mr.  Morton,  what  are  you  about,  sir? 
Remember,  I  only  put  you  on  light  duty.  It 
will  be  the  death  of  you,  if  you  attempt  to  run 
up  that  hill.' 

"But  I  was  excited,  and,  without  waiting  to 
answer,  sprang  overboard.  I  was  so  anxious 
to  be  first,  that  I  could  not  waste  time  to  go 
below,  and  leave  the  ship  in  a  proper  manner. 
The  moment  I  touched  the  water,  I  struck  out 
for  the  shore,  and  as  I  clambered  up  the  bank, 
I  found  crowds  of  men  from  each  vessel  run- 
ning at  the  top  of  their  speed  toward  the  hill, 
all  bent  on  planting  the  glorious  old  flag  on 
the  pinnacle,  for  the  possession  of  which  they 
had  fought  so  long  and  desperately.  But  far 
in  advance  of  all  of  them  I  saw  one  of  the 
engineers  of  the  Concord.  I  was  both  pleased 
and  annoyed  at  this — pleased  that  the  ship  to 
which  I  belonged  should  have  the  honor  of 
hoisting  the  Stars  and  Stripes  over  the  rebel 
stronghold,  and  annoyed  that  I  could  not  be 
the  person  who  was  to  raise  it.  But  it  was 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

not  my  disposition  to  be  discouraged.  As  I 
had  few  equals  in  running,  I  determined  to 
overtake  the  engineer,  and,  if  possible,  to  beat 
him. 

"As  soon  as  I  reached  the  top  of  the  bank, 
I  commenced  running,  and  was  soon  ahead  of 
many  of  those  who  were  far  in  advance  of  me 
when  I  started.  The  engineer,  in  the  mean 
time,  also  proved  that  he  was  no  mean  runner; 
and  the  little  flag  which  he  carried  over  his 
shoulder  moved  far  up  the  mountain,  dancing 
about  among  the  rocks  and  bushes  like  a  will- 
o'-the-wisp,  seeming  to  recede  as  I  advanced. 
Soon  I  had  passed  all  of  my  competitors  with 
the  exception  of  this  one,  and  the  race  was 
now  between  us.  Up,  up  we  ran.  I  soon  dis- 
covered that  I  was  gaining  at  every  step. 
Presently  I  was  so  close  to  him  that  I  could 
hear  his  quick,  heavy  breathing.  We  were 
rapidly  nearing  the  fort  that  crowned  the  crest 
of  the  hill,  and  I  redoubled  my  exertions.  The 
engineer  did  likewise.  It  seemed  as  though 
the  sight  of  those  battered  fortifications  had 
infused  new  life  into  him,  for  he  ran  at  a  rate 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

that  astonished  me;  and  when  I  reached  the 
top  of  the  hill  the  little  banner  had  been 
planted  on  the  breastworks,  and  my  rival  lay 
on  the  ground,  panting  and  exhausted.  Cheers, 
long  and  loud,  burst  from  the  gallant  band 
standing  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  who  had  been 
interested  spectators  of  our  movements,  and 
their  shouts  were  answered  with  redoubled 
energy  by  the  crew  of  the  Concord,  who,  in 
their  joy  at  seeing  their  own  flag  planted  on 
the  fort  by  one  of  their  own  officers,  forgot 
all  the  sacrifices  they  had  made  to  accomplish 
that  end. 

"In  a  short  time  the  heights  were  covered 
with  men,  who  busied  themselves  in  complet- 
ing the  destruction  which  the  rebels  had  com- 
menced. At  dark  all  returned  on  board  their 
respective  vessels,  which  moved  out  into  the 
stream  a  short  distance,  and  anchored.  I  paid 
dearly  for  my  foolishness  in  jumping  over- 
board, and  then  running  that  distance  in  the 
hot  sun ;  for  two  days  after  that  I  was  confined 
to  my  bed,  and  finally,  at  the  doctor's  sugges- 
tion, I  was  dumped  into  an  ambulance  and[ 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         243 

/ 

sent  by  land  to  the  hospital-ship.  I  was  well 
again  in  two  weeks,  and  learning  that  a  naval 
battery  was  to  be  mounted  on  shore,  volun- 
teered to  assist  in  working  it,  received  permis- 
sion, and  am  ready  to  face  any  new  dangers 
for  the  sake  of  the  old  flag." 

The  next  day,  while  Frank  and  his  com- 
panion were  fighting  the  battery,  the  former 
was  surprised  by  the  appearance  of  a  strange 
officer,  who  brought  orders  for  him  to  report 
on  board  his  vessel  without  delay.  He  obeyed 
the  summons,  and  found  that  the  Trenton 
had  been  ordered  up  the  Yazoo  River,  and  that 
he  had  been  sent  for  to  take  charge  of  a  divi- 
sion whose  commanding  officer  had  been  sent 
to  the  hospital.  As  soon  as  he  arrived  on 
board,  the  vessel  was  got  under  way,  and,  in 
company  with  the  flag-ship  and  several  gun- 
boats, which  they  found  waiting  for  them  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Yazoo  River,  they  started 
toward  Haines'  Bluff.  The  report  was,  the 
attack  was  to  be  a  "feigned"  one,  but  Frank 
thought,  from  the  pounding  the  Trenton  re- 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

ceived,  that  it  might  as  well  have  been  a  real 
one. 

The  fight  was  continued  until  dark,  when 
the  vessel  dropped  down  out  of  range  of  the 
batteries  and  anchored. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE  RIVAL   SHARP-SHOOTERS 

ABOUT  half-past  four  o'clock,  on  the  suc- 
ceeding morning,  just  after  Frank  had  come 
off  watch,  and  was  dozing  in  his  berth,  he  was 
awakened  by  a  loud  crash.  Starting  up,  he 
discovered  his  looking-glass  in  fragments,  and 
the  pieces  scattered  about  over  the  floor.  While 
he  was  wondering  what  could  have  been  the 
cause  of  the  accident,  he  happened  to  discover 
that  the  bulk-head  behind  the  looking-glass  was 
splintered,  which  looked  very  much  as  though 
it  had  been  done  by  a  musket-shot ;  and,  at  the 
same  instant,  he  heard  a  shrill  whistle,  with 
which  he  was  perfectly  familiar.  He  also  heard 
a  rustling  in  the  bunk  above  him,  and  Mr. 
Williams,  his  room-mate,  sprang  suddenly 
upon  the  floor,  exclaiming: 


245 


246         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

"My  goodness,  Mr.  Nelson!  the  rebels  are 
shooting  at  us." 

"I  see  they  are,"  answered  Frank,  coolly,  as 
he  slowly  arose  from  his  berth  and  commenced 
drawing  on  his  pants;  "just  see  our  looking- 
glass!  But  where  are  you  going?"  he  asked, 
finding  that  his  room-mate  was  frantically 
gathering  up  his  clothing. 

"I'm  going  to  get  below  as  soon  as  I  can," 
was  the  answer.  "Don't  you  know  that  this 
room  isn't  iron-clad?" 

"Yes,  I  know  that.  But  what's  your  hurry?" 

Mr.  Williams  did  not  stop  to  reply,  but, 
having  collected  all  his  clothing,  opened  the 
door  and  sprang  out  on  deck.  One  bound  car- 
ried him  to  the  gangway  that  led  to  the  main- 
deck,  and  in  a  moment  more  he  had  disap- 
peared. Frank  was  laughing  heartily  at  the 
comical  figure  his  timid  room-mate  had  cut, 
when  another  shot  came  crashing  through  the 
bulk-head,  and  lodged  in  the  mattress  in  the 
berth  above  him,  showing  how  narrow  had 
been  Mr.  Williams's  escape.  This  made  him 
think  that  he  also  had  better  be  getting  below. 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         247 

He  waited,  however,  until  he  was  entirely 
dressed,  and  then  walked  slowly  out  on  the 
quarter-deck,  and  took  refuge  behind  the 
wheel-house,  intending  to  make  himself  ac- 
quainted with  the  nature  of  the  attack  before 
going  below.  The  officer  of  the  deck  and  the 
quarter-master  on  watch  were  the  only  per- 
sons in  sight,  and  they,  too,  were  standing  be- 
hind the  wheel-house  for  protection. 

"What  seems  to  be  the  matter,  Mr.  Martin? 
Are  we  likely  to  have  a  brush?" 

"O  no,"  answered  the  latter;  "a  few  rebels 
have  taken  possession  of  the  battery  from  which 
we  drove  them  yesterday,  and  are  trying  to 
pick  some  of  us  off.  Did  you  see  'Nuisance' 
when  he  came  out  of  his  room?  He  ran  like  a 
streak,  but  came  very  near  being  winged,  for  a 
ball  struck  the  deck  not  six  inches  from  him." 

At  this  moment  the  captain  appeared,  and 
went  into  the  pilot-house,  that  he  might  in- 
vestigate matters  without  running  the  risk  of 
being  struck  by  the  bullets.  He  had  scarcely 
closed  the  door,  when  a  ball  carried  away  the 


24,8         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

latch.  Had  he  been  a  moment  later,  he  would 
certainly  have  been  killed. 

"A  close  shave,"  said  he  with  a  laugh.  Then, 
raising  one  of  the  windows  of  the  pilot-house, 
he  shouted,  "On  deck,  there!" 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  answered  Mr.  Martin. 

"Get  under  cover  as  quickly  as  possible;  and, 
Mr.  Nelson,  see  if  you  can  throw  a  few  shells 
among  those  fellows,  and  drive  them  out  of 
there." 

It  was  not  an  easy  task  to  get  under  cover, 
for,  the  moment  they  showed  themselves,  the 
bullets  whistled  about  them  like  hail-stones. 
But,  after  dodging  from  one  stanchion  to  an- 
other, using  even  the  sky-lights  for  conceal- 
ment, they  succeeded  in  reaching  the  main- 
deck,  where  they  were  safe.  Frank  ran  into 
the  turret,  while  Mr.  Martin  and  the  quarter- 
master dived  down  the  hatchway,  and  ran  up 
into  the  pilot-house. 

"Turn  out,  you  first  division,  and  cast  loose 
that  No.  2  gun,"  shouted  Frank,  as  he  reached 
the  gun-deck,  where  the  crew  were  still  sleep- 


PRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         249 

ing  soundly  in  their  hammocks.  "Turn  out 
lively,  lads." 

The  men  at  once  sprang  out  of  their  com- 
fortable beds,  and,  as  soon  as  the  deck  was 
cleared  of  the  hammocks,  the  gun  was  cast 
loose.  A  moment  afterward,  a  hundred-pound 
shot  plunged  into  the  battery,  raising  a  cloud 
of  dust;  but  the  rebels  had  seen  the  flash  of 
the  gun  in  time  to  throw  themselves  behind  the 
embankment  and  escape. 

"On  deck,  there,"  shouted  the  captain, 
through  the  trumpet.  "That  was  very  well 
done.  Try  them  again,  and  fire  a  little  higher, 
and  a  trifle  further  to  the  left." 

"Very  good,  sir,"  shouted  Frank,  in  reply; 
and  the  gun  was  again  pointed,  and  another 
breach  was  made  in  the  battery,  but  a  loud,  de- 
risive shout  was  sent  back  in  reply,  showing 
that  the  shot  had  been  without  effect. 

For  nearly  an  hour  the  fight  was  kept  up, 
Frank  using  his  gun  as  rapidly  as  possible, 
and  the  rebels  replying  with  their  bullets,  which 
rattled  harmlessly  against  the  Trenton's  iron 
mail,  until  the  captain,  finding  that  it  was  im- 


250         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

possible  to  dislodge  them,  gave  the  order  to 
cease  firing. 

As  soon  as  Frank  had  seen  the  gun  secured, 
he  left  the  deck  and  went  into  the  ward-room. 
It  was  filled  with  officers,  who  had  been  awak- 
ened by  the  firing,  and  were  engaged  in  an 
animated  conversation  on  the  probabilities  of 
having  breakfast. 

"If  the  rebels  continue  to  shoot  at  us,  I 
don't  know  what  you  can  do,  gentlemen,"  said 
the  caterer.  "You  know  that  the  galley  is  on 
deck,  and  I  can't  send  the  cook  up  there,  where 
he  will  be  in  danger  of  his  life.  When  you  get 
hungry  you  will  find  plenty  of  hard-tack  and 
pickles  in  the  paymaster's  store-rooms." 

"O  no,"  said  the  executive  officer,  "I  am  not 
going  without  my  breakfast.  There's  no  dan- 
ger." 

"If  you  will  go  on  deck,  and  remain  there 
five  minutes,"  said  the  caterer,  "I'll  agree  to 
cook  some  breakfast  for  you." 

The  proposition  was  accepted  by  the  execu- 
tive officer,  and  the  two  men  went  on  deck,  and 


251 

walked  toward  the  galley.  They  reached  it  in 
safety,  when  the  executive  said,  triumphantly: 

"What  do  you  think  now?  I  told  you  there 
was  no  danger." 

A  loud  crash  cut  short  his  words,  and  a  bul- 
let entered  the  galley,  and  glancing  from  the 
stove,  struck  the  opposite  bulk-head,  where  it 
remained  firmly  imbedded  in  the  wood. 

"That  will  do,  I  guess,"  said  the  executive, 
hastily  retreating  toward  the  hatchway.  "You 
needn't  mind  about  sending  the  boys  up  here 
to  cook  breakfast." 

The  two  officers  made  the  best  of  their  way 
back  to  the  ward-room,  where  they  enjoyed  a 
very  good  meal  on  some  provisions  that  had 
been  brought  up  out  of  the  paymaster's  store- 
rooms. They  then  went  into  the  pilot-house 
to  watch  the  movements  of  the  rebels  in  the 
battery.  The  latter,  finding  that  their  fire  was 
no  longer  returned,  took  no  precautions  to  con- 
ceal themselves,  but  arose  to  their  full  height 
when  they  fired  their  muskets,  and  even  stood 
on  the  battery,  waving  their  hats,  as  if  inviting 
a  shot.  Frank  watched  them  until  he  could 


252         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

stand  it  no  longer,  and  then  ran  down  below,  to 
ask  the  captain's  permission  to  return  the  fire. 

"Look  out  there!"  exclaimed  that  gentle- 
man, as  Frank  entered  the  cabin.  "The  first 
thing  you  know" 

He  was  interrupted  by  the  report  of  a  mus- 
ket, so  loud  that  it  seemed  scarcely  a  stone's 
throw  distant.  A  bullet  came  whistling  into 
one  of  the  ports,  barely  missing  Frank,  and 
lodged  in  the  captain's  pantry,  where  a  crash- 
ing among  the  crockery  told  that  the  ball  had 
not  been  altogether  thrown  away.  Another 
shot  followed  close  after  it,  but  Frank  had 
dodged  behind  the  bulk-head,  and  was  safe. 

The  captain  was  emphatically  in  a  state  of 
siege.  His  cabin  was  in  the  extreme  after- 
part  of  the  vessel,  and  in  it  were  two  port- 
holes, which  were  open.  Two  sharp-shooters 
had  taken  up  a  position  on  the  bank,  where 
they  could  see  into  the  cabin,  and  had  com- 
pelled the  captain  to  leave  the  desk  where  he 
had  been  writing,  and  take  refuge  behind  the 
bulk-head.  He  was  taking  matters  very 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         253 

coolly,  however,  being  stretched  out  on  a  sofa, 
engaged  in  reading  a  newspaper. 

"Mr.  Nelson,"  said  he,  with  a  laugh,  "if 
many  more  of  you  officers  enter  this  cabin,  I 
shall  be  a  ruined  man.  Every  shot  that  comes 
in  here  goes  slap  into  that  pantry,  and  I  don't 
suppose  I  have  a  whole  piece  of  crockery  left. 
What  did  you  wish?" 

"I  came,  sir,  to  ask  permission  to  take  one 
of  your  Spencer  rifles,"  answered  Frank.  "I 
believe  I  can  drive  those  rascals  away  from 
there,"  he  added,  glancing  through  the  port. 

"Very  well,  you  may  try.  But  I  don't 
bother  my  head  about  them.  They  can't  shoot 
through  this  bulk-head,  that's  certain.  How- 
ever, it  makes  me  feel  rather  uncomfortable 
to  know  that  I  can't  get  out  of  here  without 
running  the  risk  of  being  shot;"  and  the  cap- 
tain stretched  himself  on  the  sofa  again,  and 
resumed  his  reading. 

After  considerable  dodging,  during  which 
two  more  bullets  were  lodged  in  the  captain's 
pantry,  to  the  no  small  disgust  of  that  gentle- 
man, Frank  succeeded  in  securing  a  rifle  and 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

cartridge-box  from  one  of  the  racks  in  the 
cabin,  and  concealed  himself  behind  the  bulk- 
head, thrust  his  gun  carefully  out  of  the  port, 
and  waited  for  a  shot. 

The  bank  was  scarcely  fifty  feet  distant,  but 
for  a  long  time  not  a  rebel  showed  himself,  and 
Frank  had  about  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
they  had  given  up  the  fight,  when  he  noticed 
a  small  gully,  scarcely  a  foot  wide,  that  ran 
down  to  the  water's  edge,  and  in  that  gully 
he  saw  the  top  of  a  head,  and  afterward  dis- 
cerned a  pair  of  eyes  that  were  looking  straight 
into  the  port.  It  was  a  small  mark  to  shoot 
at,  but  Frank  had  killed  squirrels  at  that  dis- 
tance many  a  time;  so,  carefully  raising  his 
rifle,  he  took  a  quick  aim,  and  fired,  confident 
that  there  was  one  rebel  less  in  the  world.  The 
ball  landed  in  the  bank,  and  raised  a  cloud  of 
dust  that  for  a  moment  concealed  the  effect  of 
the  shot;  but  it  had  scarcely  cleared  away, 
when  a  puff  of  smoke  arose  from  the  gully  and 
another  bullet  whizzed  past  Frank's  head,  and 
landed  among  the  captain's  crockery,  showing 
that  the  rebel  still  maintained  his  position. 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         255 

Frank  cautiously  looked  out,  and  saw  the  rebel 
hastily  reloading  his  gun ;  but,  before  he  could 
give  him  another  shot,  the  deadly  rifle  was 
thrust  over  the  bank,  in  readiness  for  another 
trial. 

"O,  I'm  here  yet,  Yank!"  shouted  the  rebel, 
as  he  saw  Frank  regarding  him  as  if  he  could 
scarcely  believe  his  eyes.  "I'm  here!  and  you 
want  to  keep  close,  or  down  comes  your  meat- 
house.  This  'ere  rifle  shoots  right  smart." 

As  he  ceased  speaking,  Frank  again  fired  at 
him,  but  with  no  better  success  than  before, 
for  the  rebel  answered  the  shot,  and  dodged 
back  into  the  gully  to  reload.  For  two  hours 
this  singular  contest  was  maintained,  and 
Frank  was  both  astonished  and  provoked  at 
his  poor  marksmanship;  still  he  would  have 
continued  the  fight,  had  not  the  rebel  coolly  an- 
nounced— "It's  grub-time,  Yank.  We'll  try 
it  again  this  afternoon." 

The  fellow's  impudence  was  a  source  of  a 
great  deal  of  merriment  on  the  part  of  the  cap- 
tain, who  laughed  heartily  at  his  remarks,  and 


256         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

forgot  the  loss  he  had  sustained  in  his  crock- 
ery. 

"Captain,"  said  Frank,  as  soon  as  he  was 
certain  that  the  rebel  had  gone,  "it's  a  good 
time  to  close  those  ports  now." 

"Don't  go  near  them.  I  won't  trust  the  vil- 
lains. Tell  the  officers  that  they  are  at  liberty 
to  return  the  fire,  but  that  they  must  not 
waste  too  much  ammunition." 

Frank  went  into  the  ward-room,  and,  after 
delivering  the  captain's  order,  deposited  his 
gun  in  the  corner.  While  making  a  hearty 
dinner  on  hard-tack  and  salt  pork,  he  related 
the  incidents  of  his  fight  with  the  rebel,  which 
were  listened  to  with  interest  by  all  the  officers 
present.  After  finishing  his  meal  he  went  on 
deck  to  get  a  letter  which  he  had  commenced 
writing  to  his  cousin,  intending,  as  soon  as  the 
firing  recommenced,  to  renew  the  battle.  Not 
a  shot  had  been  fired  since  the  rebel  left  the 
gully,  and  when  Frank  walked  across  the  deck 
and  entered  his  room,  not  a  rebel  was  in  sight. 
He  took  the  letter  from  his  trunk,  and  was  pre- 
paring to  return  below,  when  a  bullet  crashed 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         257 

through  the  bulk-head,  and,  striking  his  wash- 
bowl, shivered  it  into  fragments.  This  seemed 
to  be  a  signal  for  a  renewal  of  the  fight,  for 
the  bullets  whistled  over  the  ship  in  a  perfect 
shower.  Frank  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  waited 
rather  impatiently  for  an  opportunity  to  make 
his  way  below;  but  none  offered.  As  he 
opened  the  door  of  his  room,  he  heard  a  sharp 
report,  that  he  could  easily  distinguish  from 
the  rest,  accompanied  by  a  familiar  whistle, 
and  a  bullet,  which  seemed  to  come  from  the 
stern  of  the  vessel,  sped  past  him,  striking  the 
pilot-house,  and  glancing  upward  with  a  loud 
shriek;  at  the  same  instant  several  more  from 
the  battery  whistled  by,  too  close  for  comfort. 
It  was  evident  that  the  rebels  had  seen  him 
enter  his  room,  and  knowing  that  his  only 
chance  for  escape  was  across  the  deck,  had  de- 
termined to  keep  him  a  close  prisoner.  But 
why  did  they  not  fire  through  the  bulk-head? 
Perhaps  they  thought  that  it,  like  the  rest  of 
the  ship,  was  iron-clad,  and  preferred  waiting 
for  him  to  come  out,  rather  than  to  waste  their 
lead.  But  Frank,  who  knew  that  the  sides  of 


258         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

his  room  were  only  thin  boards,  which  could 
afford  him  no  protection  whatever  from  the 
bullets  of  his  enemies,  was  not  blessed  with 
the  most  comfortable  thoughts.  To  go  out  was 
almost  certain  death,  for,  although  he  might 
escape  the  bullets  of  the  rebels  in  the  battery, 
there  was  his  rival  of  the  morning  in  the  gully, 
who  handled  his  rifle  with  remarkable  skill. 
To  remain  was  hardly  less  dangerous,  for  a 
bullet  might  at  any  time  enter  his  room  and 
put  an  end  to  his  existence. 

"Well,  I'm  in  a  nice  fix,"  he  soliloquized; 
"I've  often  heard  of  treeing  bears,  raccoons, 
and  other  animals,  but  I  never  before  heard  of 
an  officer  being  treed  in  his  own  room,  and 
on  board  his  own  ship.  I  don't  like  to  go  out 
on  deck,  and  have  those  bullets  whizzing  by 
my  head  and  calling  me  'cousin;'  besides,  I 
shall  certainly  be  shot,  for  there's  that  fellow 
in  the  gully,  and  I  know  he's  an  excellent 
marksman.  I've  got  to  stay  here  for  awhile, 
that's  evident.  If  I  ever  get  out,  I'll  make 
somebody  sweat  for  this.  I  wish  I  had  my 
gun;  but,  as  I  am  here  unarmed,  I  must  find 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         259 

some  kind  of  protection."  So  saying,  he 
snatched  the  mattresses  from  the  beds,  and, 
lying  on  the  floor,  placed  one  each  side  of  him 
as  a  barricade.  He  remained  in  this  position 
until  almost  night,  the  bullets  all  the  while 
shrieking  over  the  deck,  and  making  music 
most  unpleasant  to  his  ears.  At  length  the 
firing  began  to  slacken,  and  Frank  determined 
to  make  another  effort  to  get  below.  It  was 
not  a  long  distance  to  the  gangway  that  led 
to  the  main-deck,  but  there  was  that  fellow  in 
the  gully  who  still  maintained  the  fight,  as  an 
occasional  crash  in  the  pantry  proved,  and 
Frank  had  a  wholesome  fear  of  him.  He  re- 
solved, however,  to  make  the  attempt,  and, 
waiting  until  the  rebel  had  fired  his  gun,  he 
threw  open  the  door,  when  a  few  hasty  steps 
carried  him  below.  He  heard  a  loud  shout  as 
he  ran,  and  knew  that  the  rebel  had  seen  him. 
At  dark  the  firing  ceased  altogether;  and 
after  supper — the  only  cooked  meal  they  had 
had  during  the  day — the  officers  assembled  on 
deck  to  enjoy  the  cool  breeze,  for  the  heat  be- 
low had  been  almost  intolerable.  It  was  late 


260         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

when  they  retired,  but  it  is  needless  to  say  thct 
those  who  had  rooms  on  the  quarter-deck  slept 
in  the  mess-rooms. 

The  next  morning,  just  as  every  one  had  ex- 
pected, the  firing  was  again  renewed  by  the 
rebels  in  the  battery,  and  it  was  at  once  an- 
swered by  some  of  the  younger  officers  of  the 
ship,  who  cracked  away,  whether  an  enemy 
was  in  sight  or  not.  Frank  had  not  been  able 
to  get  the  thought  of  that  rebel  sharp-shooter 
out  of  his  mind.  The  audacity  he  had  dis- 
played in  taking  up  a  position  so  close  to  the 
vessel,  and  the  skill  with  which  he  handled  his 
rifle,  excited  his  admiration,  and  he  determined 
that,  should  he  again  take  up  the  same  posi- 
tion, he  would  renew  his  attempt  to  dislodge 
him.  He,  however,  took  no  part  in  the  fight 
until  he  came  off  watch  at  noon.  He  then 
provided  himself  with  a  rifle,  and,  after  con- 
siderable trouble,  succeeded  in  getting  into 
the  wheel-house,  the  lower  part  of  which,  be- 
ing built  of  thick  timbers,  would  easily  resist 
a  bullet,  and  here  he  settled  down,  determined 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         261 

to  fight  his  enemy  as  long  as  he  had  a  charge 
of  powder  left. 

The  rebel  was  in  his  old  position,  concealed 
as  usual,  and,  as  the  cabin  ports  had  been 
closed,  he  was  directing  his  fire  toward  the 
pilot-house.  He  was,  of  course,  not  aware  that 
Frank  had  changed  his  base  of  operations ;  but 
he  did  not  long  remain  ignorant  of  the  fact, 
for  the  latter  commenced  the  fight  without 
ceremony. 

As  nearly  every  officer  on  board  the  vessel 
was  engaged  in  fighting  the  rebels,  the  one  in 
question  could  not  determine  whence  the  shot 
came.  He  drew  back  for  a  moment,  and  then 
thrust  his  head  carefully  out,  to  reconnoiter. 
Frank,  who  could  fire  seven  shots  without 
stopping  to  reload,  was  ready  for  him,  and  an- 
other bullet  sped  toward  the  mark,  but,  as 
usual,  with  no  more  effect  than  throwing  up 
a  cloud  of  dust.  This  time,  however,  the  rebel 
saw  where  it  came  from,  and  a  moment  after- 
ward a  ball  was  buried  in  the  thick  timbers, 
scarcely  an  inch  from  the  place  where  Frank 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

was  cautiously  looking  out,  watching  the  mo- 
tions of  his  rival. 

From  his  new  position,  Frank  found  that 
the  rebel,  after  he  had  fired  his  gun,  was 
obliged  to  turn  over  on  his  back  to  reload,  and 
he  determined  that,  if  he  could  not  dislodge 
him,  he  would  at  least  put  it  out  of  his  power 
to  do  any  further  mischief.  So,  when  the  rebel 
exposed  his  arm,  as  he  was  in  the  act  of  ram- 
ming down  the  charge,  he  fired  at  him  again. 
The  latter,  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  his  op- 
ponent had  a  seven-shooter,  now  redoubled  his 
efforts,  and  made  all  haste  to  reload  his  gun; 
but  again  did  a  bullet  strike  in  the  bank  close 
beside  him,  and  cover  him  with  a  shower  of 
dust.  This  seemed  to  puzzle  the  rebel,  for  he 
raised  his  head  and  gazed  intently  toward  the 
place  where  his  enemy  was  concealed.  That 
move  was  fatal  to  him.  Scarcely  three  inches 
of  his  head  was  exposed;  but  the  bullet  went 
straight  to  the  mark — the  rebel  rolled  down 
the  bank,  and  the  deadly  rifle  fell  from  his 
hands. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

THE  SMUGGLERS'  CAVE — CONCLUSION 

"ToM,"  said  Frank,  addressing  himself  to 
the  quarter-master,  as  the  two  were  standing 
their  watch  that  evening,  "how  came  you  to 
go  to  sea?" 

"I  was  born  a  sailor,  sir,"  answered  the 
man.  "My  father,  and  my  grandfather  before 
him,  followed  the  sea  for  a  livelihood.  They 
were  smugglers,  living  among  the  rocks  and 
crags  on  the  southern  coast  of  England. 

"My  home  was  not  such  a  one  as  would 
have  suited  you,  sir;  but  it  was  a  pleasant 
place  to  me,  and  I  often  look  back  to  the  days 
of  my  boyhood,  although  passed  amid  scenes 
of  danger,  as  the  happiest  ones  of  my  life. 
Our  house,  as  we  called  it,  was  a  cave  in  the 
side  of  a  high  mountain,  at  the  foot  of  which 
was  a  long,  narrow,  and  rocky  passage,  that 

263 


264         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

led  to  the  ocean.  At  the  end  of  this  passage, 
next  to  the  mountain,  was  a  small  but  deep 
bay,  where  a  vessel  could  ride  at  anchor  in 
safety  without  being  seen  by  any  one  outside. 
In  front  of  the  cave  was  a  small  grass  plat, 
which  overlooked  a  vast  extent  of  sea  and  land, 
and  from  which  the  distant  shores  of  France 
could  be  seen.  This  was  my  post,  where  I  sat 
many  a  night,  watching  for  the  return  of  my 
father,  who  was  the  captain  of  the  smugglers. 
It  was  my  business  to  watch  for  revenue-cut- 
ters, and  to  give  the  signal  of  danger  in  case 
any  appeared  off  the  coast  at  the  time  father 
was  expected  to  return. 

"It  would  have  been  a  lonely  watch  in  that 
cave  for  one  who  was  not  accustomed  to  it,  for 
I  never  had  a  companion;  but,  having  been 
brought  up  to  that  kind  of  a  life,  I  was  never 
at  a  loss  to  know  how  to  pass  away  the  time. 
The  fishing  in  the  basin  was  excellent,  and  I 
had  a  small  boat,  the  exact  model  of  my 
father's  little  schooner,  with  which  I  some- 
times amused  myself  for  hours  together  in 
running  in  and  out  of  the  channel,  which,  ow- 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         265 

ing  to  its  rocky  nature,  was  very  difficult  of 
passage.  It  was  here  that  the  cutters  were 
always  given  the  slip.  Father  never  ap- 
proached the  coast  except  during  the  night, 
and  many  a  time  have  I  seen  the  swift  little 
schooner  come  bounding  over  the  waves,  with 
every  stitch  of  her  canvas  stretched,  followed 
close  in  her  wake  by  a  cutter.  The  latter 
would  be  certain  of  his  prize  when  he  saw  the 
schooner  heading  straight  toward  the  rocks; 
but,  the  first  thing  he  knew,  the  smuggler 
would  be  out  of  sight  in  the  channel.  No  light 
was  necessary,  for  father  knew  every  inch  of 
the  ground,  and  before  the  man-o'-war  could 
lower  his  boats  and  discover  the  place  where 
his  prize  had  so  mysteriously  disappeared, 
father  would  have  his  goods  landed,  and,  ere 
the  cutter  was  aware  of  it,  he  would  run  out  of 
the  channel  under  his  very  nose,  and  make  all 
sail  for  France.  No  one  outside  of  the  band 
was  ever  known  to  enter  the  channel ;  for,  even 
in  broad  daylight,  a  person  would  have  de- 
clined making  the  trial,  as  the  waves  dashed 
and  roared  among  the  rocks  in  a  manner  that 


266         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

seemed  to  threaten  destruction  to  any  thing 
that  came  within  their  reach. 

"The  schooner  was  several  times  overhauled 
and  boarded  while  at  sea,  but  father  never  lost 
a  cargo.  He  always  succeeded  in  fooling  the 
revenue  chaps  in  some  manner.  I  remember 
one  time  in  particular,  when  I  made  a  trip 
on  board  the  schooner  as  mate.  We  made  the 
run  in  our  usual  time,  easily  eluding  the  cut- 
ters that  were  watching  us,  and  arrived  off 
the  coast  of  France  with  every  thing  in  order. 
One  dark  night  we  landed  our  goods,  and, 
after  receiving  our  money,  we  ran  down  to  a 
little  town,  to  purchase  some  necessary  arti- 
cles, and  to  take  in  our  return  supply.  A  lot 
of  jabbering  French  policemen  sprang  on 
board  of  us,  almost  before  we  had  touched  the 
wharf,  and  commenced  rummaging  the  hold; 
but  they,  of  course,  went  away  disappointed 
in  their  hopes  of  finding  something  to  con- 
demn us.  We  lay  in  port  alongside  of  a  little 
Dutch  trading  vessel,  that  was  our  exact 
model  and  build  in  every  particular,  until 
night,  when  we  received  our  goods,  ran  by  the 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         267 

police,  and  stood  out  to  sea.  We  got  along 
nicely  until  just  before  daylight,  when  an 
'Irishman's  hurricane/  as  we  call  a  calm,  set 
in,  accompanied  by  a  heavy  fog,  and  we  lay 
motionless  on  the  water,  with  the  sails  flap- 
ping idly  against  the  masts.  It  was  provok- 
ing, and  a  more  uneasy  set  of  men  than  that 
schooner's  crew  I  never  saw.  We  remained 
becalmed  for  nearly  an  hour,  anxiously  wait- 
ing for  the  wind  to  spring  up,  when  I  happened 
to  step  for'ard,  and  heard  a  noise  like  the 
washing  of  the  waves  against  the  side  of  a 
vessel.  I  hastily  ran  aft  and  reported  the  mat- 
ter to  father,  who  silently  stationed  his  men, 
and  walked  for'ard,  with  his  speaking-trumpet 
in  his  hand,  while  we  stood  at  our  posts,  al- 
most fearing  to  breathe,  lest  it  should  be  heard 
on  board  of  the  strange  vessel,  which  was  still 
concealed  from  our  view  by  the  thick  fog. 

"At  length,  to  our  inexpressible  relief,  we 
felt  a  puff  of  wind;  then  came  another  and 
another,  each  one  increasing  in  force,  until 
the  sails  began  to  draw,  and  the  schooner  com- 
menced moving  slowly  through  the  water.  We 


268          FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

stood  off  on  the  starboard  tack,  intending  to 
give  our  invisible  neighbor  a  wide  berth;  but 
he  had  also  caught  the  wind,  and  we  could  hear 
him  moving  along  almost  in  front  of  us.  At 
length  the  fog  lifted  a  little,  and  we  saw  a 
large  revenue-cutter  standing  directly  across 
our  bows,  scarcely  a  cable's  length  distant. 
We  luffed,  to  allow  him  to  pass,  when  a  hail 
came  from  his  deck: 
'  'Schooner  ahoy!* 

'Yah,'  shouted  father  through  his  trumpet. 
'What  schooner  is  that?' 
'  'Dis !    Dis  is  my  schooner.    You  know  it.' 
"We  all  held  our  breath  in  suspense,  won- 
dering what  would  be  the  result  of  this  strange 
answer,  when  we  distinctly  heard  the  voice  say: 
'  'It's  that  rascally  Dutchman  again.'  Then, 
in  a  louder  tone,  came  the  question,  'Did  you 
keep  a  good  look-out  for  that  smuggler,  as  we 
requested  ?' 

"  'Yah!    But  I  haven't  saw  him.' 
'  'O,  shiver  your  ugly  figure-head,'  was  the 
answer.    'I've  a  good  notion  to  put  a  six-pound 
shot  into  you,  you  wooden-headed  sourkrout 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBUKG         269 

eater.  This  makes  twice  that  we  have  been 
fooled  by  you.  Now  off  you  go,  and  don't  you 
cross  our  hawse  again.' 

"Father  made  no  reply,  and  the  cutter  put 
her  helm  down,  and  started  off.  We  passed 
under  her  stern,  and  in  a  few  moments  she  dis- 
appeared in  the  fog.  The  next  night  we  en- 
tered the  channel,  and  landed  our  goods  in 
safety.  We  afterwards  learned  that  the  cut- 
ter, which  had  been  closely  watching  our  move- 
ments, had  boarded  the  Dutch  schooner, 
(which  I  have  before  mentioned,  and  which 
sailed  about  two  hours  in  advance  of  us,)  and 
so  certain  were  they  that  they  had  at  last 
gobbled  the  smuggler,  that  they  seized  the  ves- 
sel, and  unceremoniously  slapped  the  captain 
and  his  crew  in  double  irons.  The  skipper  was 
so  terrified  that  he  forgot  his  English,  and 
jabbered  away  in  Dutch;  and  it  was  not  until 
the  ship's  papers  had  been  overhauled,  that  the 
cutter  discovered  her  mistake.  WTien  the  reve- 
nue fellows  ran  foul  of  us,  they  were  again 
deceived  by  the  resemblance  between  the  two 
vessels,  and  the  manner  in  which  father  had 


270         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

imitated  the  Dutch  skipper's  language.  About 
a  year  after  that  we  had  a  stopper  put  on  our 
operations,  by  one  of  our  own  men. 

"The  cave  had  two  entrances — one  by  a 
rope  ladder  from  the  basin  below,  which  we 
could  draw  up  in  times  of  danger,  and  the 
other  by  a  path  through  the  mountains,  which 
was  known  only  to  a  few  of  the  band  whom 
father  thought  he  could  trust.  But  his  con- 
fidence was  abused.  There  is  a  black  sheep 
in  every  flock,  and  we  had  one  among  us— 
a  man  who,  tempted  by  the  offer  of  reward 
that  was  held  out  for  our  apprehension,  be- 
trayed us,  and  broke  up  our  harboring-place. 

"It  was  this  man's  business  to  go  to  Bath, 
a  small  town  about  two  miles  from  the  cave, 
to  dispose  of  our  goods  to  the  merchants  in 
that  place,  and  receive  the  funds.  Young  as 
I  was,  I  almost  knew  that  the  fellow  would 
one  day  get  us  into  trouble.  He  was  a  short, 
powerfully-built  man,  with  a  most  villainous 
countenance.  He  was  always  silent  and  mo- 
rose; could  not  bear  to  have  you  look  him  in 
the  eye;  in  short,  he  was  just  the  man  that  I 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         271 

would  have  picked  out  from  among  a  hundred 
as  a  traitor.  Father  seemed  to  repose  entire 
confidence  in  him,  and  always  asked  his  advice 
in  times  of  danger;  but,  as  much  as  I  respected 
his  judgment,  I  could  not  conquer  the  feeling 
with  which  I  had  always  regarded  the  man, 
and  I  was  constantly  on  the  watch. 

"One  night  the  schooner  sailed  as  usual,  but 
this  man,  under  pretense  of  sickness,  remained 
behind,  with  instructions  from  father,  in  case 
he  got  better,  to  go  to  the  village  and  collect 
some  money  due  him  for  goods. 

'  'All  right,'  answered  the  mate;  'I'll  attend 
to  it.'  Then,  as  soon  as  father  had  got  out  of 
hearing  he  muttered,  'I'll  collect  something 
for  you  that  you  won't  expect.' 

"As  soon  as  the  schooner  had  cleared  tiie 
channel,  and  was  fairly  out  to  sea,  the  rapidity 
with  which  that  man  got  well  was  astonishing. 
He  stayed  about  the  cave  all  day,  scarcely  say- 
ing a  word  to  me,  and  at  night  departed  by  the 
secret  path  for  the  village.  I  was  very  uneasy, 
for  a  dread  of  impending  evil  constantly 


272         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

pressed  upon  me,  and  I  determined  to  watch 
the  path,  and  be  ready  for  any  emergency. 

"On  the  cliff,  at  the  entrance  of  the  channel 
that  led  to  the  bay,  was  a  pile  of  dry  wood, 
that  was  to  be  lighted  in  case  of  danger.  This 
I  replenished,  placing  materials  for  striking  a 
light  close  at  hand,  and  then  returned  to  the 
cave  to  keep  watch  of  the  path. 

"Two  days  passed  without  the  occurrence  of 
any  thing  unusual,  and  the  night  came  on 
which  the  schooner  was  expected  to  return.  I 
divided  my  attention  between  the  secret  path 
and  the  offing,  and  at  length  a  blue  light,  mov- 
ing up  and  down  in  the  darkness,  told  me  that 
the  schooner  was  approaching.  I  answered 
the  signal,  and  stood  peering  through  the  dark- 
ness to  get  a  glimpse  of  the  approaching  ves- 
sel, when  I  heard  a  rustling  behind  me,  and 
looking  down  the  path  I  discovered,  to  my  dis- 
may, a  party  of  armed  men  approaching, 
headed  by  the  traitor,  who  said,  in  a  low  voice : 

:  'It's  all  right  now.  Catch  that  brat  be- 
fore he  has  time  to  light  the  signal  of  danger, 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         273 

and  let  the  schooner  once  get  into  the  channel, 
and  we  have  got  them  fast.' 

"The  person  spoken  of  as  'that  brat'  was 
myself,  and  I  knew  that  the  salvation  of  the 
schooner  depended  upon  my  exertions.  In  an 
instant  I  had  determined  upon  my  course,  and, 
springing  from  the  cave,  I  ran  toward  the  rope 
ladder  that  led  to  the  basin  below,  and  com- 
menced descending.  A  moment  afterward  the 
mouth  of  the  cave  was  filled  by  the  burly  form 
of  the  traitor,  who  exclaimed: 

'There  he  is — shoot  him!'  and,  suiting  the 
action  to  the  word,  he  leveled  his  pistol  and 
fired.  I  felt  a  sharp  pain  shoot  through  my 
shoulder;  a  faintness  seized  upon  me,  and,  be- 
ing unable  longer  to  retain  my  hold  upon  the 
ladder,  I  disappeared  in  the  basin.  My  sudden 
immersion  in  the  cold  water  revived  me,  and, 
being  an  excellent  swimmer,  I  struck  out,  in- 
tending to  climb  the  cliff  on  the  opposite  side, 
and  fire  the  pile.  I  exerted  myself  to  the  ut- 
most, for  I  could  see  by  the  lights  in  the  mouth 
of  the  cave  that  the  traitor  and  his  men  were 
preparing  to  follow  me;  but,  it  seemed,  in  my 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

hurry  and  excitement,  that  I  scarcely  moved 
through  the  water.  At  length,  however,  1 
reached  the  opposite  shore,  and  after  climbing 
the  cliff,  (which  I  did  with  the  utmost  diffi- 
culty, for  my  wounded  arm  was  hanging  al- 
most useless  at  my  side,  and  I  had  not  stopped 
to  look  for  the  path,)  I  ran  at  the  top  of  my 
speed  toward  the  pile.  The  schooner  having 
seen  my  signal,  and  supposing,  of  course,  that 
all  was  right,  was  still  standing  toward  the 
mouth  of  the  channel.  A  moment  more,  and 
I  would  have  been  too  late. 

"I  had  considerable  difficulty  in  finding  my 
flint,  and  then  it  seemed  impossible  to  strike  a 
light;  but,  just  as  the  foremost  of  my  pur- 
suers reached  the  top  of  the  cliff,  I  succeeded 
in  catching  a  spark;  in  a  moment  more,  the 
whole  pile  was  in  a  blaze.  I  could  not  refrain 
from  giving  a  shout  of  triumph  as  I  saw  the 
flames  shooting  upward  toward  the  sky,  light- 
ing up  the  whole  face  of  the  rocks,  until  every 
object  was  as  clearly  defined  as  in  broad  day- 
light. I  heard  an  exclamation  of  surprise  on 
board  the  schooner,  followed  by  a  few  hastily- 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         275 

spoken  orders;  then  I  knew  that  I  had  suc- 
ceeded, and  the  schooner  was  safe.  But  I  was 
not  a  moment  too  soon,  for  the  little  vessel 
was  rapidly  nearing  the  mouth  of  the  channel, 
and  once  inclosed  by  those  rocky  walls,  once 
under  the  influence  of  those  waves  that  dashed 
so  madly  over  the  rocks,  retreat  would  have 
been  impossible. 

"I  was  allowed  scarcely  a  moment  to  con- 
gratulate myself  upon  my  success,  for  my  pur- 
suers, finding  themselves  foiled,  determined  to 
wreak  their  vengeance  upon  me.  They  could 
plainly  see  me  by  the  light  of  the  burning  pile, 
and  the  quick  discharge  of  half  a  dozen  pistols 
sent  the  bullets  thickly  around  me.  It  was 
death  to  remain  where  I  was,  so  taking  a  last 
look  at  the  cave,  I  threw  myself  over  the  cliff, 
and  struck  out  for  the  schooner. 

"My  father,  having  seen  me  when  I  took 
the  leap,  laid  the  schooner  to,  and  lowered  a 
boat  to  pick  me  up.  I  tell  you,  sir,  I  was  a 
proud  youngster  when  I  stood  on  that  deck, 
receiving  the  thanks  and  the  congratulations 
of  those  I  had  saved.  I  forgot  the  pain  of 


276         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

my  wound,  and  the  dangers  from  which  I  had 
escaped,  in  the  joy  I  experienced  at  finding 
myself  once  more  safe  among  my  friends." 

Their  watch  ending  with  Tom's  interesting 
reminiscence,  they  then  turned  in  for  the  night. 

The  next  morning  the  attack  upon  the  bluffs 
was  renewed,  without  resulting  to  the  advan- 
tage of  either  side,  and  at  night  the  vessels 
again  withdrew,  and  retreated  down  the  river. 
The  Trenton  returned  to  her  old  landing,  and 
Frank,  at  his  request,  was  again  placed  in 
command  of  one  of  the  guns  of  the  battery. 
But  he  was  not  destined  to  hold  the  position 
long,  for,  now  that  the  "beauties"  had  dis- 
mounted that  troublesome  gun,  General  Sher- 
man had  advanced  his  works  until  he  could 
go  no  further  without  getting  into  the  enemy's 
line.  At  length,  one  morning,  a  flag  of  truce 
was  raised  within  their  fortifications,  and 
hostilities  were  at  once  suspended.  Then  came 
that  celebrated  interview  between  the  gen- 
erals, during  which  the  soldiers  on  both  sides 
clambered  out  of  the  rifle-pits,  and  conversed 


FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG         277 

face  to  face  with  the  men  with  whom  they  had 
so  long  been  engaged  in  deadly  conflict. 

"How  are  you  now,  Johnny?"  inquired 
Frank,  seating  himself  on  one  of  the  guns,  and 
waving  his  hat  to  a  rebel  officer  who  stood  in 
the  rifle-pits,  gazing  at  the  battery  with  great 
interest.  "What  does  that  flag  of  truce  mean? 
Are  you  going  to  surrender?" 

"Don't  know,"  replied  the  rebel;  "but,  I  say, 
Yank,  will  you  let  a  fellow  come  over  there?" 

"Certainly.    Come  on." 

The  rebel  accordingly  laid  aside  his  weapons, 
and  walked  over  to  the  battery,  where,  after 
examining  the  guns  very  curiously,  he  entered 
into  conversation  with  Frank,  in  the  course  of 
which  he  informed  him  that  they  were  a 
"played-out  concern,"  and  could  not  possibly 
hold  out  more  than  a  week  longer. 

But  they  did  not  "hold  out"  so  long;  for, 
on  the  next  day,  the  fourth  of  July,  the  victori- 
ous army  entered  the  city,  and  raised  the  STARS 
AND  STRIPES  over  the  "SEBASTOPOL  OF  THE 
SOUTH." 

Here  we  leave  our  hero,  reposing  before 


278         FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURG 

Vicksburg  on  his  well-earned  reputation  as  a 
gallant  young  officer,  waiting  to  be  ordered  to 
new  scenes  of  excitement  and  danger  further 
down  the  Mississippi  and  up  her  tributary 
streams.  Through  these  scenes  we  shall  con- 
duct our  readers  in  a  concluding  volume,  which 
will  close  Frank's  career  on  our  Western 
waters. 


ENP 


A.  L.  Burt's  Catalogue  of  Books  for 
Young  People  by  Popular  Writers,  52- 
58  Duane  Street,  New  York  ^  X  ^ 


BOOKS  FOR  BOYS. 

Joe's  Luck:    A  Boy's  Adventures  in  California.    By 

HORATIO  ALGER,  JR.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.0u. 

The  story  is  chock  full  of  stirring  incidents,  while  the  amusing  situ- 
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fellow  who  modestly  styles  himself  the  "Rip-tail  Roarer,  from  Pike  Co., 
Missouri."  Mr.  Alger  never  writes  a  poor  book,  and  "Joe's  Luck"  is  cer- 
tainly one  of  his  best. 

Tom  the  Bootblack;  or,   The  Eoad  to   Success.    By 

HORATIO  ALQEE,  JR.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

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fortable fortune.  This  Is  one  of  Mr.  Alger's  best  stories. 

Dan  the  Newsboy.    By   HORATIO  ALGEH,  JR.    12mo, 

cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

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Tony,  a  sturdy  bright-eyed  boy  of  fourteen,  Is  under  the  control  of 
Rudolph  Rugg,  a  thorough  rascal.  After  much  abuse  Tony  runs  away 
»nd  gets  a  job  as  stable  boy  in  a  country  hotel.  Tony  is  heir  to  a 
large  estate.  Rudolph  for  a  consideration  hunts  up  Tony  and  throws 
him  down  a  deep  well.  Of  course  Tony  escapes  from  the  fate  provided 
for  him,  and  by  a  brave  act,  a  rich  friend  secures  his  rights  and  Tony 
Is  prosperous.  A  very  entertaining  book. 

The  Errand  Boy;  or,  How  Phil  Brent  Won  Success. 

By  HORATIO  ALOER,  JR.    12mo,  cloth  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

The  career  of  "The  Errand  Boy"  embraces  the  city  adventures  of  a 
•mart  country  lad.  Philip  was  brought  up  by  a  kind-hearted  innkeeper 
named  Brent.  The  death  of  Mrs.  Brent  paved  the  way  for  the  her/a 
subsequent  troubles.  A  retired  merchant  In  New  York  secures  him  the 
situation  of  errand  boy,  and  thereafter  stands  as  his  friend. 

Tom  Temple's  Career.    By  HORATIO  ALGER,  JR.     12mo, 

cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

Tom  Temple  Is  a  bright,  self-reliant  lad.  He  leaves  Plympton  Tillage 
to  seek  work  in  New  York,  whence  he  undertakes  an  Important  mission 
to  California.  Some  of  his  adventures  in  the  far  west  are  so  startling  that 
die  reader  will  scarcely  close  the  book  until  the  last  page  shall  have  been 
teached.  The  tale  is  written  In  Mr.  Alger's  most  fascinating  style. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  tha 
publisher,  A.  L.  BUKT,  52-58  Duane  Street,  New  York. 


2       A.  L.  HURT'S  BOOK$  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE. 
BOOKS  FOR  BOYS. 

Frank  Fowler,  the  Cash  Boy.    By  HORATIO  ALGEE,  JR. 

12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1. 00. 

Frank  Fowler,  a  poor  boy,  bravely  determines  to  make  a  living  for 
himself  and  his  foster-sister  Grace.  Going  to  New  York  he  obtains  a 
situation  as  cash  boy  In  a  dry  goods  store.  He  renders  a  service  to  a 
wealthy  old  gentleman  who  takes  a  fancy  to  the  lad,  and  thereafter 
helps  the  lad  to  gain  success  and  fortune. 

Tom  Thatcher's   Fortune.     By    HORATIO    ALGER,  JR. 

12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

Tom  Thatcher  Is  a  brave,  ambitious,  unselfish  boy.  He  supports  his 
mother  and  sister  on  meagre  wages  earned  as  a  shoe-pegger  in  John 
Simpson's  factory.  Tom  is  discharged  from  the  factory  and  starts  over- 
land for  California.  He  meets  with  many  adventures.  The  story  is  told 
in  a  way  which  has  made  Mr.  Alger's  name  a  household  word  in  so  many 
homes. 

The  Train    Boy.    By    HORATIO    ALGER,    JR.     12mo, 

cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

Paul  Palmer  was  a  wide-awake  boy  of  sixteen  who  supported  his  mother 
and  sister  by  selling  books  and  papers  on  the  Chicago  and  Milwaukee 
Railroad.  He  detects  a  young  man  in  the  act  of  picking  the  pocket  of  a 
young  lady.  In  a  railway  accident  many  passengers  are  killed,  but  Paul 
Is  fortunate  enough  to  assist  a  Chicago  merchant,  who  out  of  gratitude 
takes  him  Into  his  employ.  Paul  succeeds  with  tact  and  judgment  and 
Is  well  started  on  the  road  to  business  prominence. 

Mark-  Mason's  Victory.     The  Trials  and  Triumphs  of 

a  Telegraph  Boy.    By  HORATIO  ALGER,  JR.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price 

$1.00. 

Mark  Mason,  the  telegraph  boy,  was  a  sturdy,  honest  lad,  who  plucklly 
won  his  way  to  success  by  his  honest  manly  efforts  under  many  diffi- 
culties. This  story  will  please  the  very  large  class  of  boys  who  regard 
Mr.  Alger  as  a  favorite  author. 

A  Deht  of  Honor.     The  Story  of  Gerald  Lane's  Success 

in,the  Far  West.    By  HORATIO  ALGER,  JR.     12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price 

$1.00. 

The  story  of  Gerald  Lane  and  the  account  of  the  many  trials  and  dis- 
appointments which  he  passed  through  befoi  he  attained  success,  will 
interest  all  boys  who  have  read  the  previous  stories  of  this  delightful 
author. 

Ben  Bruce.     Scenes  in  the  Life  of  a  Bowery  Newsboy. 

By  HORATIO  ALGER,  JR.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

Ben  Bruce  was  a  brave,  manly,  generous  boy.  The  story  of  his  efforts, 
and  many  seeming  failures  and  disappointments,  and  his  final  success,  are 
most  Interesting  to  all  readers.  The  tale  is  written  in  Mr.  Alger's 
most  fascinating  style. 

The  Castaways;  or,  On  the  Florida  Eeefs.     By  JAMES 

OTIS.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

This  tale  smacks  of  the  salt  sea.  From  the  moment  that  the  Sea 
Queen  leaves  lower  New  York  bay  till  the  breeze  leaves  her  becalmed  off 
the  coast  of  Florida,  one  can  almost  hear  the  whistle  of  the  wind 
through  her  rigging,  the  creak  of  her  straining  cordage  as  she  heels  to 
the  leeward.  The  adventures  of  Ben  Clark,  the  hero  of  the  storv  and 
Jake  the  cook,  cannot  fail  to  charm  the  reader.  As  a  writer  for  young 
people  Mr.  Otis  is  a  prime  favorite.  _ 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  the 
publisher,  A.  L.  BURT,  52-58  Duane  Street,  New  York. 


A.  L.  BURT'S  BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE.          3 

BOOKS  FOR  BOYS. 

Wrecked  on  Spider  Island ;  or,  How  Ned  Rogers  Found 

the  Treasure.    By  JAMES  OTIS.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

Ned  Rogers,  a  "down-east"  plucky  lad  ships  as  cabin  boy  to  earn 
a  livelihood.  Ned  is  marooned  on  Spider  Island,  and  while  there  dis- 
covers a  wreck  submerged  in  the  sand,  and  finds  a  considerable  amount 
Of  treasure.  The  capture  of  the  treasure  and  the  Incidents  of  the 
<royage  serve  to  make  as  entertaining  a  story  of  sea-life  as  the  most 
captious  boy  could  desire. 

The  Search  for  the  Silver  City:  A  Tale  of  Adventure  in 

Yucatan.    By  JAMES  OTIS.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

Two  lads,  Teddy  Wright  and  Neal  Emery,  embark  on  the  steam 
yacht  Day  Dream  for  a  cruise  to  the  tropics.  The  yacht  Is  destroyed 
by  fire,  and  then  the  boat  is  cast  upon  the  coast  of  Yucatan.  They 
hear  of  the  wonderful  Silver  City,  of  the  Chan  Santa  Cruz  Indians, 
and  with  the  help  of  a  faithful  Indian  ally  carry  off  a  number  of  the 
golden  Images  from  the  temples.  Pursued  with  relentless  vigor  at  last 
their  escape  is  effected  in  an  astonishing  manner.  The  story  Is  so 
full  of  exciting  incidents  that  the  reader  is  quite  carried  away  with 
the  novelty  and  realism  of  the  narrative. 

A   Runaway   Brig;  or,    An   Accidental    Cruise.     By 

JAMES  OTIS.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

This  is  a  sea  tale,  and  the  reader  can  look  out  upon  the  wide  shimmer- 
ing sea  as  it  flashes  back  the  sunlight,  and  Imagine  himself  afloat  with 
Harry  Vandyne,  Walter  Morse,  Jim  Libby  and  that  old  shell-back,  Bob 
Brace,  on  the  brig  Bonita.  The  boys  discover  a  mysterious  document 
ichJch  enables  them  to  find  a  buried  treasure.  They  are  stranded  on 
iii  island  and  at  last  are  rescued  with  the  treasure.  The  boys  are  sure 
to  he  fascinated  with  this  entertaining  story. 

The    Treasure    Finders:     A    Boy's    Adventures    in 

Nicaragua.    By  JAMES  OTIS.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

Roy  and  Dean  Coloney,  with  their  guide  Tongla,  leave  their  father's 
indigo  plantation  to  visit  the  wonderful  ruins  of  an  ancient  city.  The 
boys  eagerly  explore  the  temples  of  an  extinct  race  and  discover  three 
golden  images  cunningly  hidden  away.  They  escape  with  the  greatest 
difficulty.  Eventually  they  reach  safety  with  their  golden  prizes.  We 
doubt  if  there  ever  was  written  a  more  entertainmg  story  than  "The 
Treasure  Finders." 

Jack,  the  Hunchback.    A  Story  of  the  Coast  of  Maine. 

By  JAMES  OTIS.    Price  $1.00. 

This  is  the  story  of  a  little  hunchback  who  lived  on  Cape  Elizabeth, 
on  the  coast  of  Maine.  His  trials  and  successes  are  most  interesting. 
From  first  to  last  nothing  stays  the  interest  of  the  narrative.  It  bears  us 
along  as  on  a  stream  whose  current  varies  in  direction,  but  never  loses 
its  force. 

With  Washington  at  Monmouth:   A   Story  of  Three 

Philadelphia   Boys.     By  JAMES  OTIS.     12mo,   ornamental  cloth,   olivine 

edges,  illustrated,  price  $1.50. 

Three  Philadelphia  lads  assist  the  American  spies  and  make  regular 
•nd  frequent  visits  to  Valley  Forge  in  the  Winter  while  the  British 
occupied  the  city.  The  story  abounds  with  pictures  of  Colonial  life 
skillfully  drawn,  and  the  glimpses  of  Washington's  soldiers  which  are 
given  shown  that  the  work  has  not  been  hastily  done,  or  without  con- 
siderable study.  The  story  Is  wholesome  and  patriotic  In  tone,  as  are 
all  of  Mr.  Otis'  works. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  the 
publisher,  A.  L.  BUBI.  52-58  Duane  Street,  New  York. 


4          A.  L.  BURIES  BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLH. 


BOOKS  FOR  BOYS. 


With  Lafayette  at  Yorktown:  A  Story  of  How  Two 

Boys  Joined  the  Continental  Army.    By  JAMES  OTIS.    12mo,  ornamental 

cloth,  olivine  edges,  illustrated,  price  $1.50. 

Two  lads  from  Portm»uth,  N.  H.,  attempt  to  enlist  In  the  Colonial 
Army,  and  are  given  employment  as  spies.  There  Is  no  lack  of  exciting 
Incidents  which  the  youthful  reader  craves,  but  It  Is  healthful  excite- 
ment brimming  with  facts  which  every  boy  should  be  familiar  with, 
and  while  the  reader  Is  following  the  adventures  of  Ben  Jaffrays  and 
Ned  Allen  he  Is  acquiring  a  fund  of  historical  lore  which  will  remain 
In  his  memory  long  after  that  which  he  has  memorized  from  text- 
books has  been  forgotten. 

iAt  the  Siege  of  Havana.    Being  the  Experiences  of 

Three  Boys  Serving  under  Israel  Putnam  in  1762.    By  JAMES  OTIS.    12mo, 

ornamental  cloth,  olivine  edges,  illustrated,  price  $1.50. 

"At  the  Siege  of  Havana"  deals  with  that  portion  of  the  Island's 
history  when  the  English  king  captured  the  capital,  thanks  to  the 
assistance  given  by  the  troops  from  New  England,  led  In  part  by  CoL 
Israel  Putnam. 

The  principal  characters  are  Darius  Lunt,  the  lad  who,  represented  as 
telling  the  story,  and  his  comrades,  Robert  Clement  and  Nicholas 
Vallet.  Colonel  Putnam  also  figures  to  considerable  extent,  necessarily, 
In  the  tale,  and  the  whole  forms  one  of  the  most  readable  stories  founded  on 
historical  facts. 

The  Defense  of  Fort  Henry.      A  Story  of  Wheeling 

Creek  in  1777.    By  JAMES  OTIS.    12mo,  ornamental  cloth,  olivine  edges, 

illustrated,  price  $1.50. 

Nowhere  In  the  history  of  our  country  can  be  found  more  heroic  or 
thrilling  incidents  than  In  the  story  of  those  brave  men  and  women 
who  founded  the  settlement  of  Wheeling  in  the  Colony  of  Virginia.  The 
recital  of  what  Elizabeth  Zane  did  Is  in  itself  as  heroic  a  story  as  can 
be  Imagined.  The  wondrous  bravery  displayed  by  Major  McCulloch 
and  his  gallant  comrades,  the  sufferings  of  the  colonists  and  their  sacrifice 
of  blood  and  life,  stir  the  blood  of  old  as  well  as  young  readers. 

The  Capture  of  the  Laughing  Mary.    A  Story  of  Three 

New  York  Boys  in  1776.    By  JAMES  OTIS.    12mo,  ornamental  cloth,  olivina 

edges,  price  $1.50. 

"During  the  British  occupancy  of  New  York,  at  the  outbreak  of  the 
Revolution,  a  Yankee  lad  hears  of  the  plot  to  take  General  Washington's 
person,  and  calls  in  two  companions  to  assist  the  patriot  cause.  They 
do  some  astonishing  thugs,  and.  Incidentally,  lay  the  way  for  an 
American  navy  later,  by  the  exploit  which  gives  Its  name  to  the 
work.  Mr.  Otis'  books  are  too  well  known  to  require  any  particular 
commendation  to  the  young." — Evening  Post. 

With  Warren  at  Bunker  Hill.    A  Story  of  the  Siege  of 

Boston.     By  JAMES  OTIS.     12mo,  ornametnal  cloth,  olivine  edges,  illus- 
trated, price  $1.50. 

"This  Is  a  tale  of  the  siege  of  Boston,  which  opens  on  the  day  after 
the  doings  at  Lexington  and  Concord,  with  a  description  of  home  life 
In  Boston,  Introduces  the  reader  to  the  British  camp  at  Charlestown, 
Shows  Gen.  Warren  at  home,  describes  what  a  boy  thought  of  the 
battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  and  closes  with  the  raising  of  the  siege.  The 
three  heroes,  George  Wentworth,  Ben  Scarlett  and  an  old  ropemaker, 
Incur  the  enmity  of  a  young  Tory,  who  causes  them  many  adventures 
the  boys  will  like  to  read." — Detroit  Free  Press. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  the 
publisher,  A.  L.  BUKT,  52-58  Duane  Street,  New  York.  f 


A.  L.  BURT'S  BOOKS  FOE  YOUNG  PEOPLE,       $ 
BOOKS  FOR  BOYS. 

With  the  Swamp  Fox.    The  Story  of  General  Marion's 

Spies.    By  JAMES  OTIS.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

This  story  deals  with  General  Francis  Marion's  heroic  straggle  in  th« 
Carolinas.  General  Marion's  arrival  to  take  command  of  these  brave 
men  and  rough  riders  is  pictured  as  a  boy  might  have  seen  it,  and 
Although  the  story  is  devoted  to  what  the  lads  did,  the  Swamp  Fox 
Is  ever  present  in  the  mind  of  the  reader. 

On  the  Kentucky  Frontier.    A  Story  of  the  Fighting 

Pioneers  of  the  West.    By  JAMES  OTIS.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1. 

In  the  history  of  our  country  there  is  n«  more  thrilling  story  than 
that  of  the  work  done  on  the  Mississippi  river  by  a  handful  of  frontiers- 
men. Mr.  Otis  takes  the  reader  on  that  famous  expedition  from  the 
arrival  of  Major  Clarke's  force  at  Corn  Island,  until  Kaskaskia  was 
captured.  He  relates  that  part  of  Simon  Kenton's  life  history  which 
is  not  usually  touched  upon  either  by  the  historian  or  the  story  teller. 
This  is  one  of  the  most  entertaining  books  for  young  people  which  has 
been  published. 

Sarah  Dillard's  Ride.     A  Story  of  South  Carolina  in 

in  1780.    By  JAMES  OTIS.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

"This  book  deals  with  the  Carolinas  in  1780,  giving  a  wealth  of  detail  of 
the  Mountain  Men  who  struggled  so  valiantly  against  the  king's  troops. 
Major  Ferguson  is  the  prominent  British  officer  of  the  story,  which  la 
told  as  though  coming  from  a  youth  who  experienced  these  adventures. 
In  this  way  the  famous  ride  of  Sarah  Dillard  is  brought  out  as  an 
Incident  of  the  plot." — Boston  Journal. 

A  Tory  Plot.     A  Story  of  the  Attempt  to  Kill  General 

Washington.    By  JAMES  OTIS.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  pilce  $1.00. 

"  'A  Tory  Plot'  is  the  story  of  two  lads  who  overhear  something 
of  the  plot  originated  during  the  Revolution  by  Gov.  Tryon  to  capture 
or  murder  Washington.  They  communicate  their  knowledge  to  Gen. 
Putnam  and  are  commissioned  by  him  to  play  the  role  of  detectives 
In  the  matter.  They  do  so,  and  meet  with  many  adventures  and  hair- 
breadth escapes.  The  boys  are,  of  course,  mythical,  but  they  serve  to  en- 
able the  author  to  put  into  very  attractive  shape  much  valuable  knowledge 
concerning  one  phase  of  the  Revolution. " — Pittsburgh  Times. 

A  Traitor's  Escape.    A  Story  of  the  Attempt  to  Seize 

Benedict  Arnold.    By  JAMES  OTIS.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

"This  is  a  tale  with  stirring  scenes  depicted  in  each  chapter,  bringing 
••-;r!y  before  the  mind  the  glorious  deeds  of  the  early  settlers  in  this 
country.  In  an  historical  work  dealing  with  this  country's  past,  no 
plot  can  hold  the  attention  closer  than  this  one,  which  describes  the 
attempt  and  partial  success  of  Benedict  Arnold's  escape  to  New  York, 
where  he  remained  as  the  guest  of  Sir  Henry  Clinton.  All  those  who 
actually  figured  in  the  arrest  of  the  traitor,  as  well  as  Gen.  Washing- 
ton, are  included  as  characters." — Albany  Union. 

A  Cruise  with  Paul  Jones.     A  Story  of  Naval  Warfare 

in  1776.    By  JAMES  OTIS.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

"This  story  takes  up  that  portion  of  Paul  Jones'  adventurous  life 
when  he  was  hovering  off  the  British  coast,  watching  for  an  oppor- 
tunity to  strike  the  enemy  a  blow.  It  deals  more  particularly  witf 
bis  descent  upon  Whitehaven,  the  seizure  of  Lady  Selkirk's  plate,  and 
the  famous  battle  with  the  Drake.  The  boy  who  figures  in  the  tale 
Is  one  who  was  taken  from  a  derelict  by  Paul  Jones  shortly  after  thia 
particular  cruise  was  begun." — Chicago  Inter-Ocean. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  By  tbt 
...ublisher.  A.  L.  BURT,  52-58  Duano  Street,  New  York. 


6          A.  L.  BURT^S  BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE.  < 

BOOKS  FOR  BOYS. 

Corporal  Lige's  Recruit.    'A  Story  of  CroTra  Point  and 

Ticonderoga.    By  JAMES  OTIS.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  §1,00. 

"In  'Corporal  Lige's  Recruit,'  Mr.  Otis  tells  the  amusing  story  of  an 
old  soldier,  proud  of  his  record,  who  had  served  the  king  in  '58.  and  who 
takes  the  lad,  Isaac  Rice,  as  his  'personal  recruit.'  The  lad  acquits 
himself  superbly.  Col.  Ethan  Allen  'In  the  name  of  God  and  the  con- 
tinental congress,'  Infuses  much  martial  spirit  into  the  narrative,  which 
will  arouse  the  keenest  interest  as  it  proceeds.  Crown  Point.  Ticon- 
deroga,  Benedict  Arnold  and  numerous  other  famous  historical  names 
appear  In  this  dramatic  tale." — Boston  Globe. 

Morgan,  the  Jersey  Spy.  A  Story  of  the  Siege  of  York- 
town  in  1781.  By  JAMES  OTIS.  12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 
"The  two  lads  who  are  utilized  by  the  author  to  emphasize  the  details 
of  the  work  done  during  that  memorable  time  were  real  bo.vs  who  lived 
on  the  banks  of  the  York  river,  and  who  aided  the  Jersey  spy  in  his 
dangerous  occupation.  In  the  guise  of  fishermen  the  lads  visit  York- 
town,  are  suspected  of  beJng  spies,  and  put  under  arrest.  Morgan  risks 
his  life  to  save  them.  The  final  escape,  the  thrilling  encounter  with  a 
squad  of  red  coats,  when  they  are  exposed  equally  to  the  bullets  of 
friends  and  foes,  told  in  a  masterly  fashion,  makes  of  this  volume  one 
of  the  most  entertaining  books  of  the  year." — Inter-Ocean. 

The  Young  Scout:  The  Story  of  a  West  Point  Lieu- 
tenant. By  EDWARD  S.  Ems.  12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 
The  crafty  Apache  chief  Geronimo  but  a  few  years  ago  \vas  the 
most  terrible  scourge  of  the  southwest  border.  The  author  has  woven, 
in  a  tale  of  thrilling  interest,  all  the  incidents  of  Geronimo's  last  raid. 
The  hero  is  Lieutenant  James  Decker,  a  recent  graduate  of  West  Point. 
Ambitious  to  distinguish 'himself  the  young  man  takes  many  a  desperati 
chance  against  the  enemy  and  on  more  than  one  occasion  narrowlj 
escapes  with  his  life.  In  our  opinion  Mr.  Ellis  is  the  best  writer  of 
Indian  stories  now  before  the  public. 

Adrift  in  the  Wilds:    The  Adventures  of  Two  Ship- 
wrecked Boys.    By  EDWARD  S.  ELLIS.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 
Elwood  Brandon    and    Howard    Lawrence    are    en    route    for   San    Fran- 
cisco.    Off  the  coast  of  California  the  steamer  takes  fire.       The  two  boyg 
reach    the    shore    with    several    of    the    passengers.     Young    Brandon    be- 
comes   separated    from    his    party    and    is    captured    by    hostile    Indians, 
but    is    afterwards    rescued.     This    Is    a    very    entertaining    narrative    of 
(Southern    California. 

A  Young  Hero;  or,  Fighting  to  Win.    By  EDWARD  S. 

ELLIS.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

This  story  tells  how  a  valuable  solid  silver  service  was  stolen  from 
the  Misses  Perkinpine,  two  very  old  and  simple  minded  ladies.  Fred 
Sheldon,  the  hero  of  this  story,  undertakes  to  discover  the  thieves  and 
have  them  arrested.  After  much  time  spent  in  detective  work,  he 
succeeds  in  discovering  the  silver  plate  and  winning  the  reward.  The 
story  is  told  in  Mr.  Ellis'  most  fascinating  style.  Every  boy  will  be 
glad  to  read  this  delightful  book. 

Lost  in  the  Rockies.     A  Story  of  Adventure  in  the 

Rocky  Mountains.    By  EDWARD  S.  ELLIS.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1. 

Incident  succeeds  incident,  and  adventare  is  piled  upon  adventure, 
and  at  the  end  the  reador,  be  he  boy  or  man,  will  have  experienced 
breathless  enjoyment  in  this  romantic  story  describing  many  adventures  ia 
the  Rockies  anil  among  the  Indians. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  tb* 
publisher,  A.  I,.  BVRT.  52-58  Duane  Street,  New  York- 


A.  L.  BURT'S  BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE.          ^ 

BOOKS  FOR  BOYS. 

A.  Jaunt  Through  Java:     The  Story  of  a  Journey  to 

the  Sacred  Mountain.    By  EDWARD  S.  ELLIS.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated, 

price  $1.00. 

The  interest  of  this  story  Is  found  In  the  thrilling  adventures  of 
two  cousins,  Hermon  and  Eustace  Hadley,  on  their  trip  acrosss  the  island 
of  Java,  from  Samarang  to  the  Sacred  Mountain.  In  a  land  where  the 
Royal  Bengal  tiger,  the  rhinoceros,  and  other  fierce  beasts  are  to  be 
met  with,  it  is  but  natural  that  the  heroes  of  this  book  should  have  a 
lively  experience.  There  is  not  a  dull  page  in  the  book. 

The  Boy  Patriot.     A  Story  of  Jack,  the  Young  Friend 

of  Washington.    By  EDWARD  S.  ELLIS.    12mo,  cloth,  olivine  edges,  illus- 
trated, price  $1.50. 

"There  are  adventures  of  all  kinds  for  the  hero  and  his  friends,  whose 
pluck  and  ingenuity  in  extricating  themselves  from  awkward  fixes  are 
always  equal  to  the  occasion.  It  is  an  excellent  story  full  of  honest, 
manly,  patriotic  efforts  on  the  part  of  the  hero.  A  very  vivid  description 
of  the  battle  of  Trenton  is  also  found  in  this  story." — Journal  of 
Education. 

A  Yankee  Lad's  Pluck.     How  Bert  Larkin  Saved  his 

Father's  Ranch  in  Porto  Rico.    By  Wn.  P.  CHIPMAN.    12mo,  cloth,  illus- 

tr»  ted,  price  $1.00. 

"bert  Larkin.  the  hero  of  the  story,  early  excites  our  admiration, 
and  is  altogether  a  fine  character  such  as  boys  will  delight  in,  whilst 
the  story  of  his  numerous  adventures  is  very  graphically  told.  This 
will,  we  think,  prove  one  of  the  most  popular  boys'  books  this  season."— 
Gazette. 

A  Brave  Defense.    A   Story  of  the  Massacre  at   Fort 

Griswold  in  1781.    By  WILLIAM  P.  CHIPMAN.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price 

$1.00. 

Perhaps  no  more  gallant  fight  against  fearful  odds  took  place  during 
the  Revolutionary  War  than  that  at  Port  Griswold,  Groton  Heights,  Conn., 
in  1781.  The  boys  are  real  boys  who  were  actually  on  the  muster  rolls, 
either  at  Fort  Trumbull  on  the  New  London  side,  or  of  Fort  Griswold  on 
the  Groton  side  of  the  Thames.  The  youthful  reader  who  follows  Halsey 
Sanford  and  Lev!  Dart  and  Tom  Malleson,  and  their  equally  brave  com- 
rades, through  their  thrilling  adventures  will  be  learning  something  more 
than  historical  facts;  they  will  be  imbibing  lessons  of  fidelity,  of  bravery, 
of  heroism,  and  of  manliness,  which  must  prove  serviceable  in  the  arena 
of  life. 

The  Young  Minuteman.    A  Story  of  the  Capture  of 

General  Prescott  in  1777.    By  WILLIAM  P.  CHIPMAN.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated, 

price  $1.00. 

This  story  is  based  upon  actual  events  which  occurred  during  the  British 
occupation  of  the  waters  of  Narragansett  Bay.  Darius  Wale  and  William 
Northrop  belong  toi  "the  coast  patrol."  The  story  is  a  strong  one,  dealing 
only  with  actual  events.  There  is,  however,  no  lack  of  thrilling  adventure, 
and  every  lad  who  is  fortunate  enough  to  obtain  the  book  will  find  not 
only  that  bis  historical  knowledge  is  increased,  but  that  his  own  patriotism 
and  love  of  country  are  deepened. 

For  the  Temple:    A  Tale  of  the  Fall  of  Jerusalem. 

By  G.  A.  HENTY.  With  illustrations  by  S.  J.  SOLOMON.  12mo,  cloth,  olivine 
edges,  price  $1.00. 

"Mr.  Henty's  graphic  prose  picture  of  the  hopeless  Jewish  resistance 
to  Roman  sway  adds  another  leaf  to  his  record  of  the  famous  wars  of 
the  world.  The  book  is  one  of  Mr.  Henty's  cleverest  efforts." — Graphic. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  the 
publisher,  A.  L,  BURT,  59-58  Duane  Street,  New  York, 


8       A.  L.  HURT'S  BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE. 
BOOKS  FOR  BOYS. 

Roy  Gilbert's  Search:    A  Tale  of  the  Great  Lakes.    By 

WM.  P.  CHIPMAN.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

A  deep  mystery  hangs  over  the  parentage  of  Roy  Gilbert.  He  arranges 
with  two  schoolmates  to  make  a  tour  of  the  Great  Lakes  on  a  st*am 
launch.  The  three  boys  visit  many  points  of  Interest  on  the  lakes. 
Afterwards  the  lads  rescue  an  elderly  gentleman  and  a  lady  from  a  sink- 
Ing  yacht.  Later  on  the  boys  narrowly  escape  with  their  lives.  The 
hero  is  a  manly,  self-reliant  boy,  whose  adventures  will  be  followed 
with  interest. 

The  Slate  Picker:     The  Story  of  a  Boy's  Life  in  the 

Coal  Mines.    By  HARRY  PRENTICE.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

This  is  a  story  of  a  boy's  life  In  the  coal  mines  of  Pennsylvania. 
Ben  Burton,  the  hero,  had  a  hard  road  to  travel,  but  by  grit  and  energy 
he  advanced  step  by  step  until  he  found  himsolf  called  upon  to  fill  the 
position  of  t'aief  engineer  of  the  Kohinoor  Coal  Company.  This  is  a 
book  of  extreme  Interest  to  every  boy  reader. 

The  Boy  Cruisers;  or,  Paddling  in  Florida.     By  ST. 

GBORGK  RATHBORNK.  12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00 
Andrew  George  and  Rowland  Carter  start  on  a  canoe  trip  along  the 
Gulf  coast,  from  Key  West  to  Tampa,  Florida.  Their  first  adventure 
is  with  a  pair  of  rascals  who  steal  their  boats.  Neit  they  ran  into 
a  gale  in  the  Gulf.  After  that  they  have  a  lively  time  with  alli- 
gators and  Andrew  gets  into  trouble  with  a  band  of  Seminole  Indians. 
Mr.  Rathborne  knows  just  how  to  interest  the  boys,  and  lads  who  are 
In  search  of  a  rare  treat  will  do  well  toi  read  this  entertaining  story. 

Captured  by  Zulus:    A  Story  of  Trapping  in  Africa. 

By  HARRY  PRENTICE.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  §1.00. 

This  story  details  the  adventures  of  two  lads,  Dick  Blsworth  and  Bob 
Harvey,  In  the  wilds  of  South  Africa.  By  stratagem  the  Zulus  capture 
DJok  and  Bob  and  take  them  to  their  principal  kraal  or  village.  Th« 
lads  escape  death  by  digging  their  way  out  of  the  prison  hnt  by  night. 
They  are  pursued,  but  the  Zulus  finally  give  up  pursuit.  Mr.  Prentice 
tells  exactly  how  wild-beast  collectors  secure  specimens  on  their  native 
stamping  grounds,  and  these  descriptions  make  very  entertaining  rending. 

Tom  the  Ready;  or,  Up  from  the  Lowest.    By  RAN. 

DOLFH  HILL.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

This  is  a  dramatic  narrative  of  the  unaided  rise  of  a  fearless,  ambi- 
tious boy  from  the  lowest  round  of  fortune's  ladder  to  wealth  and  th« 
governorship  of  his  native  State.  Tom  Seacomb  begins  life  with  a  pur- 
pose, and  eventually  overcomes  those  who  oppose  him.  How  he  manages 
to  win  the  battle  is  told  by  Mr.  Hill  in  a  masterfnl  way  that  thrills 
the  reader  and  holds  his  attention  and  sympathy  to  the  end. 

Captain  Kidd's  Gold:  The  True  Story  of  an  Adven- 
turous Sailor  Boy.  By  JAMES  FRANKLIN  FITTS.  12mo,  cloth,  illustrated, 
price  $1.00. 

There  is  something  fascinating  to  the  average  youth  In  the  very  idea 
of  buried  treasure.  A  vision  arises  before  his  eyes  of  swarthy  Portu- 
guese and  Spanish  rascals,  with  black  beards  and  gleaming  eyes.  There 
were  many  famous  sea  rovers,  but  none  more  celebrated  than  Capt.  Kidd. 
Paul  Jones  Garry  Inherits  a  document  which  locates  a  considerable 
treasure  buried  by  two  of  Kidd's  crew.  The  hero  of  this  book  is  an 
nmbitious,  persevering  lad,  of  salt-water  New  England  ancestry,  and  his 
a/forts  to  "each  the  island  and  secure  the  money  form  one  of  the  most 
absorbing  talc,,  for  our  youth  that  has  come  from  the  press. 

Vot-  sale  by  *P  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  bj  thfl 
r.  A.  L.  VDBT,  52-58  Duane  Street,  New  York. 


A.  L.  HURT'S  BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE.  9 

BOOKS  FOR  BOYS. 

The  Boy  Explorers:     The  Adventures  of  Two  Boys  in 

Alaska.    By  HARRY  PRENTICE.    I2mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

Two  boys,  Raymond  and  Spencer  Manning,  travel  to  Alaska  to  Join 
their  father  In  search  of  their  uncle.  On  their  arrival  at  Sitka  the  boys 
with  an  Indian  guide  set  off  across  the  mountains.  The  trip  is  fraught 
with  perils  that  test  the  lads'  courafro  to  the  utmost.  All  through  their 
exciting  adventures  the  lads  demonstrate  what  can  be  accomplished  by 
pluck  and  resolution,  and  their  experience  makes  one  of  the  most  in- 
teresting tales  ever  written. 

The    Island   Treasure;    or,    Harry    Barrel's    Fortune. 

By  FRANK  H.  CONVERSE.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

Harry  Darrel,  having  received  a  nautical  training  on  a  school-ship,  is 
bent  on  going  to  sea.  A  runaway  horse  changes  his  prospects.  Harry 
saves  Dr.  Gregg  from  drowning  and  afterward  becomes  sailing-master 
of  a  sloop  yacht.  Mr.  Converse's  stories  possess  a  charm  of  their  own 
which  is  appreciated  by  lads  who  delight  in  good  healthy  tales  that) 
Bmack  of  salt  water. 

Guy  Harris:    The  Runaway.    By  HARRY  CASTLEMON. 

13mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

Guy  Harris  lived  in  a  small  city  on  the  shore  of  one  of  the  Great 
Lakes.  He  is  persuaded  to  go  to  sea,  and  gets  a  glimpse  of  the  rough 
Bide  of  life  in  a  sailor's  boarding  house.  He  ships  on  a  vessel  and  for 
five  months  leads  a  hard  life.  The  book  will  interest  boys  generally 
on  account  of  its  eraphic  styla.  This  is  one  of  Castlemon's  most  attract- 
ive stories. 

Julian  Mortimer:     A  Brave  Boy's  Struggle  for  Home 

and  Fortune.    By  HARRY  CASTLEMON.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1. 

The  scene  of  the  story  lies  west  of  the  Mississippi  River,  in  the  daya 
•when  emigrants  made  their  perilous  way  across  the  great  plains  to  the 
land  of  gold.  There  is  an  attack  upon  the  wagon  train  by  a  large  party 
of  Indians.  Our  hero  is  a  'ad  of  uncommon  nerve  and  pluck.  Befriended 
by  a  stalwart  trapper,  a  real  rough  diamond,  our  hero  achieves  the  most 
happy  results. 

By  Pike  and  Dyke:    A  Tale  of  the  Rise  of  the  Dutch 

Republic.    By  G.  A.  HENTY.    With   illustrations   by   MATNARD   BROWN. 

12mo,  cloth,  olivine  edges,  price  $1.00. 

"Boys  with  a  turn  for  historical  research  will  be  enchanted  with  the 
book,  while  the  rest  who  only  care  for  adventure  will  be  students  in  spite 
of  themselves." — St.  James's  Gazette. 

St.  George  for  England:  A  Tale  of  Cressy  and  Poi- 
tiers. By  G.  A.  HENTY.  With  illustrations  by  GORDON  BROWNE.  12mo, 
cloth,  olivine  edges,  price  $1.00. 

"A  story  of  very  great  interest  for  boys.  In  his  own  forcible  style 
the  author  has  endeavored  to  show  that  determination  and  enthusiasm 
can  accomplish  marvellous  results;  and  that  courage  is  generally  accom- 
panied by  magnanimity  and  gentleness." — Pall  Hall  Gazette. 

Captain  Bayley's  Heir:     A  Tale  of  the  Gold  Fields  of 

California.    By  G.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations  by  H.  M.  PAGET.    12mo> 

cloth,  olivine  edges,  price  $1.00. 

"Mr.  Henty  Is  careful  to  mingle  instruction  with  entertainment;  and 
the  humorous  touches,  especially  in  the  sketch  of  John  Holl,  the  West- 
minster dustman,  Dickens  himself  could  hardly  have  excelled." — Chris- 
tian Leader.  ^ ^^^^_^ 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  the 
publisher,  A.  L.  ETJH.T,  52-58  Duane  Street,  New  York. 


10     A.  L.  HURT'S  BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE. 

BOOKS  FOR  BOYST 

Budd  Boyd's  Triumph;  or,  The  Boy  Firm  of  Fox  Island. 

By  WILIJAM  P.  CHIPMAN.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

The  scene  of  this  story  is  laid  on  the  upper  part  of  Narragansett  Bay, 
and  the  leading  incidents  have  a  strong  salt-water  flavor.  The  two 
boys,  Budd  Boyd  and  Judd  Floyd,  being  ambitious  and  clear  sighted, 
form  a  partnership  to  catch  and  sell  fish.  Budd's  pluck  and  good  sense 
carry  him  through  many  troubles.  In  following  the  career  of  the  boy 
firm  of  Boyd  &  Floyd,  the  youthful  reader  will  find  a  useful  lesson— 
that  industry  and  perseverance  are  bound  to  lead  to  ultimate  success. 

lost  in  the  Canyon :     Sam  Willett's  Adventures  on  the 

Great  Colorado.  By  ALFRED  R.  CALHOUN.  12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1, 
This  story  hinges  on  a  fortune  left  to  Sam  Willett,  the  hero,  and  the 
fact  that  it  will  pass  to  a  disreputable  relative  if  the  lad  dies  before 
he  shall  have  reached  his  majority.  The  story  of  his  father's  peril  and 
of  Sam's  desperate  trip  down  the  great  canyon  on  a  raft,  and  how  the 
party  finally  escape  from  their  perils  is  described  in  a  graphic  style 
that  stamps  Mr.  Calhoun  as  a  master  of  his  art. 

Captured  by  Apes:     The  Wonderful  Adventures  of  a 

Young  Animal  Trainer.    By  HARRY  PRENTICE.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated. 

price  $1.00. 

Philip  Garland,  a  young  animal  collector  and  trainer,  sets  sail  for 
Eastern  seas  in  quest  of  a  new  stock  of  living  curiosities.  The  vessel 
is  wrecked  off  the  coast  of  Borneo,  and  young  Garland  is  cast  ashore 
on  a  small  island,  and  cantured  by  the  apes  that  overrun  the  place. 
Very  novel  indeed  is  the  way  by  which  the  young  man  escapes  death. 
Mr.  Prentice  is  a  writer  of  undoubted  skill. 

Under  Brake's  Flag:     A  Tale  of  the  Spanish  Main. 

By  G.  A.  HENTT.     With  illustrations  by  GORDON  BROWNE.     12mo,  cloth, 

olivine  edges,  price  $1.00. 

"There  Is  not  a  dull  chapter,  nor,  Indeed,  a  dull  page  in  the  book;  but 
"the  author  has  so  carefully  worked  up  his  subject  that  the  exciting 
deeds  of  his  heroes  are  never  incongruous  nor  absurd." — Observer. 

By  Sheer  Pluck:    A  Tale  of  the  Ashanti  War.    By 

G.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations  by  GORDON  BROWNE.    12mo,  cloth,  olivine 

edges,  price  $1.00. 

The  author  has  woven,  in  a  tale  of  thrilling  interest,  all  the  details 
of  the  Ashanti  campaign,  of  which  he  was  himself  a  witness. 

"Mr.  Henty  keeps  up  his  reputation  as  a  writer  of  boys'  stories.  'By 
Sheer  Pluck'  will  be  eagerly  read." — Athenseum. 

With  Lee  in  Virginia :     A  Story  of  the  American  Civil 

War.    By  G.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations  by  GORDON  BROWNE.    12mo, 

cloth,  olivine  edges,  price  $1.00. 

"One  of  the  best  stories  for  lads  which  Mr.  Henty  has  yet  written. 
The  picture  is  full  of  life  and  color,  and  the  stirring  and  romantic  inci- 
dents are  skillfully  blended  with  the  personal  interest  and  charm  of  the 
story. " — Standard. 

By  England's  Aid;  or,  The  Freeing  of  the  Netherlands 

(1585-1604).    ByG.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations  by  ALFRED  PEARSE.    12mo. 

cloth,  olivine  edges,  price  $1.00. 

"It  Is  an  admirable  book  for  youngsters.  It  overflows  with  stirring 
incident  and  exciting  adventure,  and  the  color  of  the  era  and  of  the 
scene  are  finely  reproduced.  The  illustrations  add  to  its  attractiveness." — 
Boston  Gazette.  ^^^^^____ 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  tbe 
publisher,  A.  L.  BURT,  52-58  Buane  Street,  New  York. 


A.  L.  HURT'S  BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE.        11 

BOOKS  FOR  BOYS. 

By  Right  of  Conquest;  or,    With    Cortez  in    Mexico. 

By   G.    A.    HENTY.    With   illustrations  by  W.  S.  STACEY.    12mo.  cloth, 

olivine  edges,  price  $1.50. 

"  The  conquest  of  Mexico  by  a  small  band  of  resolute  men  under  the 
magnificent  leadership  of  Cortez  is  always  rightfully  ranked  among  the  most 
romantic  and  daring  exploits  in  history.  'By  Right  of  Conquest'  is  the 
neaiest  approach  to  a  perfectly  successful  historical  tale  that  Mr.  Henty 
has  yet  published."— Academy. 

For  Name  and  Fame;   or,   Through  Afghan  Passes. 

By  G.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations  by  GORDON  BROWNE.    12mo,  cloth, 

olivine  edges,  price  $1 .00. 

"Not  only  a  rousing  story,  replete  with  all  the  varied  forms  of  excite- 
ment of  a  campaign,  but,  what  is  still  more  useful,  an  account  of  a 
territory  and  its  inhabitants  which  must  for  a  long  time  possess  a  supreme 
interest  for  Englishmen,  as  being  the  key  to  our  Indian  Empire." — 
Glasgow  Herald. 

The  Bravest  of  the  Brave;  or,  With  Peterborough  in 

Spain.    By  G.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations   by  H.  M.    PAGET.    12mo 

cloth,  olivine  edges,  price  81-00. 

"Mr.  Henty  never  loses  sight  of  the  moral  purpose  of  his  work — to 
enforce  the  doctrine  of  courage  and  truth,  mercy  and  loving  kindness, 
as  indispensable  to  the  making  of  a  gentleman.  Boys  will  rea^  "The 
Bravest  of  the  Brave'  with  pleasure  and  profit;  of  that  we  are  quite 
sure." — Daily  Telegraph. 

The  Cat  of  Bubastes :  A  Story  of  Ancient  Egypt.     By 

G.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations.    12mo,  cloth,  olivine  edges,  price  81.00. 

"The  story,  from  the  critical  moment  of  the  killing  of  the  sacred  cat 
to  the  perilous  exodus  into  Asia  with  which  it  closes,  Is  very  skillfully 
constructed  and  full  of  exciting  adventures.  It  is  admirably  illustrated." 
— Saturday  Review. 

Bonnie  Prince  Charlie :    A  Tale  of  Fontenoy  and  Cul- 

loden.    By  G.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations  by  GORDON  BRO^TJF.    12mo, 

cloth,  olivine  edges,  price  $1.00. 

"Ronald,  the  hero,  is  very  like  the  hero  of  'Quentin  Durward.'  The 
lad's  journey  across  France,  and  his  hairbreadth  escapes,  maLeo  up  aa 
good  a  narrative  of  the  kind  as  we  have  ever  read.  For  freshness  of 
treatment  and  variety  of  incident  Mr.  Henty  has  surpassed  himself." — 
Spectator. 

With  Clive  in  India;  or,  The  Beginnings  of  an  Empire. 

By  G.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations  by  GORDON  BROWNE.    12mo,  cloth, 

olivine  edges,  price  $1.00. 

"He  has  taken  a  period  of  Indian  history  of  the  most  vital  Impor- 
tance, and  he  has  embroidered  on  the  historical  facts  a  story  which  of 
itself  Is  deeply  interesting.  Young  people  assuredly  will  be  delighted 
with  the  volume." — Scotsman. 

In  the  Reign  of  Terror:    The  Adventures  of  a  West- 
minster Boy.    By  G.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations  by  J.  SCHO'NBERG. 
12mo,  cloth,  olivine  edges,  price  $1.00. 
"Harry  Sandwlth,  the  Westminster  boy,  may  fairly    be    said    to    beat 

Mr.    Henty's   record.     His   adventures  will   delight   boys  by   the   audacity 

and  peril  they  depict.     The  story  is  one  of  Mr.  Henty's  best." — Saturday 

Review. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  the 
rublisher,  A.  L.  BtTET,  68-58  Duane  Street,  New  York. 


12     A.  L.  HURT'S  BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE. 
BOOKS  FOR  BOYS. 

The  Lion  of  the  North:    A  Tale  of  Gustavus  Adolphus 

and  the  Wars  of  Religion,    By  G.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations  by  JOHN 

SCHONBERG.    12mo,  cloth,  olivine  edges,  price  $1.00. 

"A  praiseworthy  attempt  to  Interest  British  youth  in  the  great  deeds 
of  the  Scotch  Brigade  In  the  wars  of  Gustavus  Alolphus.  Mackey,  Hep- 
burn, and  Munro  live  again  In  Mr.  Henty's  pages,  as  those  deserve  to 
live  whose  disciplined  bands  formed  really  the  germ  of  the  modern 
British  army." — Athenaeum. 

The  Dragon  and  the  Haven;    or,    The   Days  of   King 

Alfred.    By  G.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations  by  C.  J.  STANILAND.    12rno, 

cloth,  olivine  edges,  price  $  1.00. 

In  this  story  the  author  gives  an  account  of  the  fierce  struggle  be- 
tween Saxon  and  Dane  for  supremacy  In  England,  and  presents  a  vivid 
picture  of  the  misery  and  ruin  to  which  the  country  was  reduced  by  the 
ravages  of  the  sea-wolves.  The  story  Is  treated  in  a  manner  most  at- 
tractive to  the  boyish  reader." — Athenaeum. 

The  Young  Carthaginian:     A  Story  of  the  Times  of 

Hannibal.    By  G.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations  by  C.  J.  STANILAND.  12mo, 

cloth,  olivine  edges,  price  $1.00. 

"Well  constructed  and  vividly  told.  From  first  to  last  nothing  stays 
the  Interest  of  the  narrative.  It  bears  us  along  as  on  a  stream  whose 
current  varies  in  direction,  but  never  loses  its  force."— Saturday  Ueview. 

In  Freedom's  Cause:     A  Story  of  Wallace  and  Bruoe. 

By  G.  A.  HBNTY.    With  illustrations  by  GORDON  BROWNE.    12mo,  cloth, 

ofivine  edges,  price  $1.00. 

"It  is  written  in  the  author's  best  style.  Full  of  the  wildest  and  most 
remarkable  achievements,  it  Is  a  tale  of  great  interest,  which  a  boy,  once 
he  has  begun  It,  will  not  willingly  put  one  side." — The  Schoolmaster. 

With  Wolfe  in  Canada;  or,  The  Winning  of  a  Con- 
tinent. By  G.  A.  HENTY.  With  illustrations  by  GORDON  BROWNE.  12mo, 
cloth,  olivine  edges,  price  $1.00. 

"A  model  of  what  a  boys'  story-book  should  be.  Mr.  Henty  has  a 
great  power  of  Infusing  into  the  dead  facts  of  history  new  life,  and  as 
no  pains  are  spared  by  him  to  ensure  accuracy  in  historic  details,  his 
books  supply  useful  aids  to  study  as  well  as  amusement." — School  Guard- 
ian, 

True  to  the  Old  Flag:    A  Tale  of  the  American  War  of 

Independence.    By  G.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations  by  GORDON  BROWNS. 

12mo,  cloth,  olivine  edges,  price  $1.00. 

"Does  Justice  to  the  pluck  and  determination  of  the  British  sollders 
during  the  unfortunate  struggle  against  American  emancipation.  The  son 
of  an  American  loyalist,  who  remains  true  to  our  flag,  falls  among  the 
hostile  red-skins  in  that  very  Huron  country  which  has  been  endeared 
to  us  by  the  exploits  of  Hawkeye  and  Chlngachgook." — The  Times. 

A  Final  Beckoning:     A   Tale  of  Bush    Life  in  Aus- 
tralia.   By  Q.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations  by  W.  B.  WOLLHN.    12mo, 
cloth,  olivine  edges,  price  $1.00. 
"All  boys  will  read  this  story  with  eager  and  unflagging  Interest.    The 

episodes  are  in   Mr.   Henty's  very  best  vein — graphic,   exciting,   realistic; 

and,  as  in  all  Mr»  Henty's  books,  the  tendency  Is  to  the  formation  of  an 

honorable,    manly,    and   even   heroic   character." — Birmingham   Post. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  the 
publisher,  A.  L.  BTJBT,  52-58  Duane  Street,  New  York. 


A.  L.  BUST'S  BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE.        13 

BOOKS  FOR  BOYS. 

The  Lion  of  St.  Mark:    A  Tale  of  Venice  in  the  FOIP- 

teenth  Century.    By  G.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations  by  GORDON  BROWNS, 

12mo,  cloth,  olivine  edges,  price  $1-00. 

"Every  boy  should  read  'The  Lion  of  St.  Mark.'  Mr.  Henty  has  nevet 
produced  a  story  more  delightful,  more  wholesome,  or  more  vivacious."— . 
Saturday  Review. 

Facing  Death;  or,  The  Hero  of  the  Vaughan  Pit.     A 

Tale  of  the  Coal  Mines.    By  G.  A.  HENTY.    "With  illustrations  by  GORDOH 

BROWNE.    12mo,  cloth,  olivine  edges,  price  $1.00. 

"The  tale  is  well  written  and  well  Illustrated,  and  there  Is  much 
reality  In  the  characters.  If  any  father,  clergyman,  or  schoolmasta? 
is  on  the  lookout  for  a  good  book  to  give  as  a  present  to  a  boy  who  Is 
worth  his  salt,  this  is  the  book  we  would  recommend." — Standard. 

Maori  and  Settler:      A  Story  of  the  New  Zealand  War. 

By  G.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations  by  ALFRED  PEARSE.    13mo,  clothi 

fefivine  edges,  price  31.00. 

"In  the  adventures  among  the  Maoris,  there  are  many  breathlesa 
moments  in  which  the  odds  seem  hopelessly  against  the  party,  but  they 
succeed  in  establishing  themselves  happily  In  one  of  the  pleasant  New 
Zealand  valleys.  It  is  brimful  of  adventure,  of  humorous  and  interesting 
conversation,  and  vivid  pictures  of  colonial  life." — Schoolmaster. 

One  of  the  28th:    A  Tale  of  Waterloo.    By  G.  A. 

HENTY.    With  illustrations  by  W.  H.  OVEREND.      12rno,    cloth,  olivina 

edges,  price  $1.00. 

"Written  with  Hom«rtc  vigor  and  heroic  inspiration.  It  Is  graphic, 
picvuresque,  and  dramatically  effective  .  .  .  shows  us  Mr.  Henty  at 
his  best  and  brightest.  The  adventures  will  hold  a  boy  enthralled  as  he 
rushes  through  them  with  breathless  Interest  'from  cover  to  cover.'  " — • 
Observer. 

Orange  and  Green :    A  Tale  of  the  Boyne  and  Limer- 
ick.   By  G.  A.  HENTY.     With  illustrations  by  GORDON  BROWNE.     12mo, 
clotn,  olivine  edges,  price  $1.00. 
"The  narrative  is  free    from    the  vice    cf    prejudice,  and    ripples    with 

life  as  If  what  Is  being  described  were  really  passing  before  the  eye." — 

Belfast   News-Letter. 

Through  the  Fray:    A  Story  of   the   Luddite   Eiots. 

By  G.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations  by  H.  M.  PAGET     12mo,  cloth,  olivina 

edges,  price  $1  00. 

"Mr.  Henty  inspires  a  love  and  admiration  for  straightforwardness,  truth 
and  courage.  This  is  one  of  the  best  of  the  many  good  books  Mr. 
Henty  has  produced,  and  deserves  to  be  classed  with  his  'Facing  Death.'  " 
— Standard. 

The  Young  Midshipman:  A  Story  of  the  Bombard- 
ment of  Alexandria.  With  illustrations.  12mo,  cloth,  olivine  edges., 
price  $1.00. 

A  coast  fishing  lad,  by  an  act  of  heroism,  secures  the  Interest  of 
a  shipowner,  who  places  him  as  an  apprentice  on  board  one  of  his  ships. 
In  company  with  two  of  his  fellow-apprentices  he  is  left  behind,  at 
Alexandria,  in  the  hands  of  the  revolted  Egyptian  troops,  and  is  present 
through  the  bombardment  and  the  scenes  of  riot  and  bloodshed  which 
accompanied  It. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  tha 
publisher,  A.  L.  BUBT,  52-5P  Duaae  Street.  >*•»•»  York. 


14      A.  L.  HURT'S  BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE. 

BOOKS  FOR  BOYS. 

In    Times    of    Peril.    A  Tale  of    India.    By  G.  A. 

HENTY.    With  illustrations.    12mo,  cloth,  olivine  edges,  price  $1.00. 

The  hero  of  the  story  early  excites  our  admiration,  and  is  altogether 
a  fine  character  such  as  boys  will  delight  in,  whilst  the  story  of  the 
campaign  Is  very  graphically  told." — St.  James's  Gazette. 

The  Cornet'  of  Horse:     A  Tale  of  Marlborough's  Wars. 

By  G.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations.    12mo,  cloth,  olivine  edges,  price  $1. 

"Mr.  Henty  not  only  concocts  a  thrilling  tale,  he  weaves  fact  and  fiction 
together  with  so  skillful  a  hand  that  the  reader  cannot  help  acquiring  a 
Just  and  clear  view  of  that  fierce  and  terrible  struggle  known  as  the 
Crimean  War." — Athenaeum, 

The  Young  Franc-Tireurs :    Their  Adventures  in  the 

Franco-Prussian  War.    By  G.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations.    12mo,  cloth, 

olivine  edges,  price  81.00. 

"A  capital  book  for  boys.  It  is  bright  and  readable,  and  full  of  good 
sense  and  manliness.  It  teaches  pluck  and  patience  in  adversity,  and 
shows  that  right  living  leads  to  success." — Observer. 

The  Young  Colonists:     A  Story  of  Life  and  War  ix> 

South  Africa.    By  G.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations.    12mo,  cloth,  olivina 

edges,  price  81-00. 

"No  boy  needs  to  have  any  story  of  Henty's  recommended  to  him,  and 
parents  who  do  not  know  and  buy  them  for  their  boys  should  be  ashamed 
of  themselves.  Those  to  whom  he  is  yet  unknown  could  not  make  a 
better  beginning  than  with  this  book. 

The  Young  Buglers.     A  Tale  of  the  Peninsular  War, 

By  G.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations.    12mo,  cloth,  olivine  edges,  price  $1 
"Mr.  Henty  is  a  giant  among    boys*  writers,  and    his    books    are    suffi- 
ciently popular  to  be  sure  of  a  welcome  anywhere.     In  stirring  interest, 
this  is  quite  up  to  the  level  of  Mr.   Henty's  former  historical  tales." — 
Saturday  Review. 

Sturdy  and  Strong;  or,  How  George  Andrews  Made  his 

Way.    By  G.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations.    12mo.  cloth,  olivine  edges, 

price  $1.00. 

"The  history  of  a  hero  of  everyday  life,  whose  love  of  tr  th,  clothing  of 
modesty,  and  innate  pluck,  carry  him,  naturally,  from  poy.rty  to  afflu- 
ence. George  Andrews  is  an  example  of  character  with  nothing  to  cavil 
at,  and  stands  as  a  good  instance  of  chivalry  in  domestic  life." — The 
Empire. 

Among  Malay  Pirates.    A    Story  of   Adventure   and 

Peril.    By  G.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations.    12mo,  cloth,  olivine  edges, 

price  $1.00. 

"Incident  succeeds  incident,  and  adventure  Is  piled  upon  adventnre, 
end  at  the  end  the  reader,  be  he  boy  or  man,  will  have  experienced 
breathless  enjoyment  in  a  romantic  story  that  must  have  taught  him 
much  at  its  close." — Army  and  Navy  Gazette. 

Jack  Archer.     A   Tale   of    the    Crimea.     BY  G.  A. 

HEJTTY.    With  illustrations.    12mo,  cloth,  olivine  edges,  price  $1.00. 

"Mr.  Henty  not  only  concocts  a  thrilling  tale,  he  weaves  fact  and  fiction 
together  with  so  skillful  a  hand  that  the  reffder  cannot  help  acquiring  a 
just  and  clear  view  of  that  fierce  and  terrible  struggle." — Athenaeum. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  the 
publisher,  A.  L.  BUET,  52-58  Duar.e  Street,  New  York. 


A.  L.  HURT'S  BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE.        15 

BOOKS  FOR  BOYS. 

Friends,  Though  Divided.    A  Tale  of  the  Civil  War. 

By  Q.  A.  HENTY.    With  illustrations.     19mo,  cloth,  olivine  edges,  price  $1. 

"It  has  a  good  plot;  it  abounds  in  action;  the  scenes  are  equally  spirited 
and  realistic,  and  we  can  only  say  we  hare  read  it  with  much  pleasure 
from  first  to  last." — Times. 

Out  on  the  Pampas;    or,    The   Young    Settlers.    By 

G.  A.  HBNTY.    With  illustrations.    12uao,  cloth,  olivine  edges,  price  $1.00. 

"A  really  noble  story,  wbicb  adult  readers  will  find  to  the  fall  as  satis- 
fying as  th«  boys.  Lucky  boys!  to  bare  such  a  caterer  as  Mr.  G.  A* 
Henty."— Black  and  White. 

The  Boy  Knight :      A  Tale  of  the  Crusades.    By  G.  A. 

HENTY.    With  illustrations.    12rao,  cloth,  olivine  edges,  price  $1.00. 

"Of  stirring  episode  there  is  no  lack.  The  book,  with  its  careful  accu- 
racy and  its  descriptions  of  all  the  chief  battles,  will  give  many  a  school- 
boy his  first  real  understanding  of  a  very  important  period  of  history." — 
St.  James's  Gazette. 

The  Wreck  of  the  Gold*n  Fleece.    The  Story  of  a  North 

Sea  Fisher  Boy.    By  ROBERT  LEIGHTON.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1. 

A  description  of  life  OB  the  wild  North  Sea. — the  hero  being  a  parson's 
sou  who  is  appreciated  on  board  a  Lowestoft  fishing  lugger.  The  lad  has 
to  suffer  many  buffets  from  his  shipmates,  while  the  storms  and  danger* 
which  he  braved  on  board  the  "North  Star"  are  set  forth  with  minute 
knowledge  and  intense  power.  The  wreck  of  the  "Golden  Fleece"  forma 
the  climax  to  a  thrilling  series  of  desperate  mischances. 

Olaf  the  Glorious.    A  Story  of  the  Viking  Age.    By 

ROBERT  LEIOHTON.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1 .00. 

This  story  of  Olaf  the  Glorious,  King  of  Norway,  opens  with  the  incident 
of  bis  being  found  by  bis  uncle  living  as  a  bond-slave  in  Esthonia;  then 
come  his  adventures  as  a  Viking  and  bis  raids  upon  the  coasts  of  Scot- 
land and  England,  his  victorious  battle  against  the  English  at  Maldon  in 
Essex,  bis  being  bought  off  by  Ethelred  the  Unready,  and  his  conversion 
to  Christianity.  He  then  returns  to  Pagan  Norway,  is  accepted  as  king, 
and  converts  his  people  to  the  Christian  faith. 

To  Greenland  and  the  Pole.     A  story  of  Adventure  in 

the  Arctic  Regions.    By  GORDON  STABLES.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1. 

The  unfailing  fascination  of  Arctic  venturing  is  presented  in  this  Siory 
with  new  vividness.  It  deals  with  skilttbning  in  the  north  of  Scotland, 
deer-hunting  in  Norway,  sealing  in  the  Arctic  Seas,  bear-stalking  on  the 
ice-floes,  the  hardships  of  a  journey  across  Greenland,  and  a  successful 
voyage  to  the  back  of  the  North  Pole.  This  is.  indeed,  a  real  sea-yarn 
by  a  real  sailor,  and  the  tone  is  as  bright  and  wholesome  as  the  adventures 
are  numerous. 

Yussuf  the  Guide.     A    Story   of   Adventure  in   Asia 

Minor.    By  GEORGE  MAKVIT.LB  FENN,    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

This  story  deals  with  the  stirring  Incidents  in  the  career  of  a  lad  who  has 
been  almost  given  over  by  the  doctors,  but  who  rapidly  recovers  health 
and  strength  in  a  journey  through  Asia  Minor.  The  adventures  are  many, 
and  culminate  in  the  travellers  being  snowed  up  for  the  winter  in  the 
Mountains,  from  which  they  escape  while  their  captors  are  waiting  for 
the  raneom  that  does  not  come. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  the 
publisher,  A.  L.  BUET,  52-58  Duane  Street,  New  York. 


16      A.  L.  BURT'S  BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE. 

BOOKS  FOR  BOYS. 

Grettir  the  Outlaw.    A  Story  of  Iceland.    By  S. 

12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 


"This  is  the  boys'  book  of  the  year.  That  is.  of  course,  as  much  as 
to  say  that  it  will  do  for  men  grown  as  well  as  Juniors.  It  Is  told  in 
simple,  straightforward  English,  as  all  stories  should  be.  and  it  has  a 
freshness  and  freedom  which  make  it  irresistible."  —  National  Observer. 

Two    Thousand    Years  Ago.      The    Adventures    of    a 

Roman  Boy.    By  A.  J.  CHURCH.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  fl.OO. 

"Prof.  Church  has  in  this  story  sought  to  revivify  that  most  interesting 
period,  the  last  days  of  the  Roman  Republic.  The  book  is  extremely  en- 
tertaining as  well  as  useful;  there  is  a  wonderful  freshness  in  the  Romai 
scenes  and  characters."  —  Times. 

Nat  the  Naturalist.     A  Boy's  Adventure  in  the  East- 

ern Seas.    By  GEORGE  MANVILLE  FENN.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1. 

Nat  and  his  uncle  Dick  go  on  a  voyage  to  the  remoter  islands  of  the 

Eastern  seas,  and  their  adventures  are  told  in  a  truthful  and  vastly  in- 

teresting fashion.     The  descriptions  of  Mr.    Ebony,   their  black  comrade, 

and  of  the  scenes  of  savage  life,  are  full  of  genuine  humor. 

The  Log  of  tke  Flying  Fish.      A  Story  of  Peril  and 

Adventure.    By  HARRY  COLLINGWOOD.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1. 

"This  story  is  full  of  even  more  vividly  recounted  adventures  than  those 
whicll  charmed  so  many  boy  readers  in  'Pirate  Island'  and  'Congo  Rovers.' 
.  .  .  There  is  a  thrilling  adventure  on  the  precipices  of  Mount  Everest, 
when  the  ship  floats  off  and  providentially  returns  by  force  of  'gravita- 
tion.' "  —  Academy. 

The  Congo  Rovers.    A  Story  of  the   Slave   Squadron. 

By  HARRY  COLLINGWOOD.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  fl.OO. 

"The  scene  of  this  tale  is  laid  on  the  west  coast  of  Africa,  and  in  the 
lower  reaches  of  the  Congo;  the  characteristic  scenery  of  the  great  river 
being  delineated  with  wonderful  accuracy.  Mr.  Collingwood  carries  us  off 
for  another  cruis  at  sea,  in  'The  Congo  Clovers,'  and  boys  will  need  no 
pressing  to  join  the  daring  crew,  which  seeks  adventures  and  meets  with 
any  number  of  them."  —  The  Times. 

Boris  the  Bear  Hunter.    A  Tale  of  Peter  the  Great  and 

His  Tunes.    By  FRED  WISHAW.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 
"This  is  a  capital  story.     The  characters  are  marked  and  lifelike,  and  It 
Is  full  of  incident  and  adventure."  —  -Standard. 

Michael  Strogoff  ;  or,  The  Courier  of  the  Czar.    By 

JULES  VERNE.    I2mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

"The  story  is  full  of  originality  and  vigor.  The  characters  are  lifelike, 
there  is  plenty  of  stirring  incident,  the  interest  is  sustained  throughout, 
and  every  boy  will  enjoy  following  the  fortunes  of  the  hero."  —  Journal  of 
Education. 

Mother  Carey's  Chicken.    Her  Voyage  to  the  Unknown 

Isle.    By  GEOBGE  MANVILLE  FENN.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

"Undoubtedly  one  of  the  best  Mr.  Fenn  has  written.  The  Incidents  are 
of  thrilling  interest,  while  the  characters  are  drawn  with  a  care  and  com- 
pleteness rarely  found  in  a  boy's  book."  —  Literary  World. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  the 
publisher,  A.  L.  BTTRT,  52-58  Duane  Street,  TTew  York. 


A.  L.  HURT'S  BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLB.        17 

BOOKS  FOR  BOYS. 

Dick  Sand;   or,  A    Captain   at   Fifteen.     By  JULES 

VERNE.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

"Jules  Verne  himself  never  constructed  a  more  marvellous  tale.  It  con- 
tains the  strongly  marked  features  that  are  always  conspicuous  in  his 
Btories — a  racy  humor,  the  manly  vigor  of  bis  sentiment,  and  wholesome 
moral  lessons." — Christian  Leader. 

Erling  the  Bold.    A  Tale  of  the   Norse   Sea   Kings. 

By  R.  M.  BALLANTYNE.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

"This  volume  makes  a  really  fascinating  book,  worthy  of  Its  telling 
title.  There  is,  we  ventur*  to  say,  not  a  dull  chapter  in  the  book,  not 
a  page  which  will  not  bear  a  second  reading." — Guardian. 

Masterman  Ready;  or,  The  Wreck  of  the  Pacific.    By 

CAPTAIN  MARRYAT.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

"As  racy  a  tale  of  life  at  sea  and  adventure  as  we  have  met  with  for 
some  time.  .  .  .  Altogether  the  sort  of  book  that  boys  will  revel  in." 
— Athenaeum. 

The  Green  Mountain  Boys.    A  Tale  of  the  Early  Set- 
tlement of  Vermont.    By  D.  P.  THOMPSON.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1. 
A  story  of  very  great  interest  for  boys.     In  his  own  forcible  style  the 
anthor   has  endeavored   to  show  that  determination  and   patriotic  enthu- 
siasm can  accomplish  marvellous  results.    This  story  gives  a  graphic  ac- 
count of  the  early  settlers  of  Vermont,  and  their  patriotic  efforts  in  de- 
fending their  homes  from  the  invasions  of  enemies. 

Every  Inch  a  Sailor.     By  GOEDON  STABLES.     12mo, 

cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

"A  story  which  is  quite  as  good  in  its  way  as  'Treasure  Island,'  and  is 
fall  of  adventure  of  a  stirring  yet  most  natural  kind.  Although  it  ia 
primarily  a  boys'  book,  it  is  a  real  godsend  to  the  elderly  reader." — 
Evening:  Times. 

The  Golden  Galleon.    A  Narrative   of   Adventure  on 

Her  Majesty's  Ship  the  Revenge.    By  ROBERT  LXIQETBON.     12ino,  cloth, 

illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

"This  story  should  add  considerably  to  Mr.  Leighton's  high  reputation. 
Excellent  in  every  respect,  it  contains  every  variety  of  incident.  The  plot 
Is  very  cleverly  devised,  and  the  types  of  the  North  Sea  sailors  are 
capital." — The  Times. 

The  Gorilla  Hunters.    A  Tale  of  the  Wilds  of  Africa. 

By  R.  M.  BALLANTYNB.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

"We  conscientiously  belive  that  boys  will  find  it  capital  reading.  It  is 
full  of  incident  and  mystery,  and  the  mystery  is  kept  up  to  the  last 
moment.  It  is  full  of  stirring  adventure,  daring  and  many  escapes;  and 
it  has  a  historical  interest." — Times. 

Gascoyne   the   Sandalwood   Trader.    By  R.  M.  BAL- 

LANTYNK.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

"One  of  the  best  stories  of  seafaring  life  and  adventure  which  have 
appeared  this  season.  Entertaining  in  the  highest  degree  from  beginning 
to  end,  and  full  of  adventure  which  is  all  the  livelier  for  its  close  con- 
nection with  history." — Spectator. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  the 
publisher,  A.  L.  BUKT,  62-68  Duane  Street,  New  York. 


18     A.  L.  BURT'S  BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE. 

BOOKS  FOR  BOYS. 

Two  Years  Before  the  Mast.    5S  Personal  Narrative  of 

Life  at  Sea.    By  R.  H.  DANA,  JR.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

"One  of  the  very  best  books  for  boy 8  that  we  have  seen  for  a  long  time: 
Its  author  stands  far  in  advance  of  any  other  writer  for  boys  as  a  teller 
of  stories  of  the  sea." — The  Standard. 

The  Young  Rajah.    A  Story  of  Indian  Life.    By  W. 

H.  G.  KINGSTON.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

"This  story  will  place  the  author  at  once  in  the  front  rank.  It  is  fall 
of  life  and  adventure,  and  the  interest  is  sustained  without  a  break  from 
first  to  last." — Standard. 

How  Jack  Mackenzie  Won  His  Epaulettes.    A  Story 

of  the  Crimean  War.     By  GORDON.  STABLES.     12mo,  cloth,  illustrated, 

price  $1.00. 

"This  mast  rank  among  the  few  undeniably  good  boys'  books.  He 
will  be  a  very  dull  boy  indeed  who  lays  it  down  without  wishing  that 
It  had  gone  on  for  at  least  100  pages  more." — Mail. 

The  Zing's  Pardon.    A  Story  of  Land  and  Sea.    By 

ROBERT  OVERTON.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  f  1.00. 

"An  excellent  story,  the  Interest  being  sustained  from  first  to  last. 
This  is,  both  in  its  intention  and  the  way  the  story  is  told,  one  of  the 
best  books  of  Its  kind  which  has  come  before  us  this  year." — Saturday 
Review. 

Under  the  lone  Star.    A  Story  of  the  Revolution  in 

Nicaragua.    By  HERBERT  HATNES.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  $1.00. 

"We  have  not  of  late  come  across  a  historical  fiction,  whether  intended 
for  boys  or  for  men,  which  deserves  to  be  so  heartily  and  unreservedly 
praised  as  regards  plot,  incidents,  and  spirit  as  this  book.  It  is  its  au- 
thor's masterpiece  as  yet." — Spectator. 

Geoff  and  Jim:  A  Story  of  School  Life.    By  ISMAY 

THORN.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  75  cents. 

"This  is  a  prettily  told  story  of  the  life  spent  by  two  motherless  bairns 
at  a  small  preparatory  school.  Both  Geoff  and  Jim  are  very  lovable  char- 
acters, only  Jim  is  the  more  so;  and  the  scrapes  he  gets  into  and  the 
trials  he  endures  will,  no  doubt,  Interest  a  large  circle  of  young  readers." 
—Church  Times. 

Jack:  A  Topsy  Turvy  Story.    By  C.  M.  CRAWLEY- 

BOEVEY.    ISmo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  75  cents. 

"The  illustrations  deserve  particular  mention,  as  they  add  largely  to 
the  interest  of  this  amusing  volume  for  children.  Jack  falls  asleep  with 
his  mind  full  of  the  subject  of  the  fishpond,  and  is  very  much  surprised 
presently  to  find  himself  an  inhabitant  of  Waterworld,  where  he  goes 
through  wonderful  and  edifying  adventures.  A  handsome  and  pleasant 
book." — Literary  World. 

Black  Beauty.    The  Autobiography  of  a  Horse.    By 

ANNA  SEWELL.    I2mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  75  cents. 

This  is  the  life  story  of  a  horse;  how  he  was  ill  treated  and  well 
cared  for.  The  experiences  of  Black  Beauty,  Ginger,  and  Merrylegs  are 
extremely  interesting.  Wherever  children  are,  whether  boys  or  girls,  there 
this  Autobiography  should  be.  It  inculcates  habits  of  kindness  to  all  mem- 
bers of  the  animal  creation.  The  literary  merit  of  the  book  is  excellent. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  the 
publisher,  A.  L.  BTJRT,  52-68  Duane  Street,  New  York, 


A.  L.  HURT'S  BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE/*1"  19 

BOOKS  FOR  BOYS. 

Mopsa  the  Fairy.    By  JEAN  INGELOW.    12mo,  cloth, 

illustrated,  price  75  cents. 

"Mrs.  Ingelow  is,  to  our  mind,  the  most  charming  of  all  living  writers 
for  children,  and  'Mopsa'  alone  ought  to  give  her  a  kind  of  pre-emptive 
right  to  the  love  and  gratitude  of  our  young  folks.  It  requires  genius 
to  conceive  a  purely  imaginary  work  which  must  of  necessity  deal  with 
the  supernatural,  without  running  into  a  mere  riot  of  fantastic  absurdity; 
but  genius  Mrs.  Ingelow  has,  and  the  story  of  'Jack'  is  as  careless  and 
joyous,  but  as  delicate  as  a  picture  of  childhood." — Eclectic. 

Carrots:  Just  a  Little  Boy.    By  MKS.  MOLESWORTH. 

12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  75  cents. 

"One  of  the  cleverest  and  most  pleasing  stories  it  has  been  our  good 
fortune  to  meet  with  for  some  time.  Carrots  and  his  sister  are  delight- 
ful little  beings,  whom  to  read  about  is  at  once  to  become  very  fond  of. 
A  genuine  children's  book;  we've  seen  'em  seize  it,  and  read  it  greedily. 
Children  are  first-rate  critics,  and  thoroughly  appreciate  Walter  Crane's 
illustrations. ' ' — Punch. 

Larry's  Luck.     By  the  author  of  "Miss  Toosey's  Mis- 
sion."   12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  75  cents. 

"It  is  believed  that  this  story,  by  this  favorably  known  author  of 
•Miss  Toosey's  Mission,'  will  be  found  both  highly  interesting  and  instruc- 
tive to  the  young.  Whether  the  readers  are  nine  years  old,  or  twice  as 
old,  they  must  enjoy  this  pretty  volume." — The  Examiner. 

A  Child's  Christinas:  A  Sketch  of  Boy  Life.    By  MRS. 

MOLESWORTH.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  75  cents.  t 

"This  is  another  of  those  delightful  juvenile  stories  of  which  this  author 

has  written  so  many.     It  is  a  fascinating  little  book,   with  a  charming 

plot,   a  sweet,   pure  atmosphere,   and  teaches  a  wholesome  moral  in  the 

most  winning  manner." — Gazette. 

Chunk,  Fusky  and  Snout.    A  Story  of  Wild  Pigs  for 

Little  People.    By  GERALD  YOUNG.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  75  cents. 

"The  story  is  an  extremely  interesting  one,  full  of  Incident,  told  in  a 
quiet,  healthful  way,  and  with  a  great  deal  of  pleasantly  Interfused 
Information  about  wild  pigs  and  their  ways.  It  is  sure  to  interest  both 
boys  and  girls." — Christian  Union. 

Daddy's  Boy.    By  L.  T.  MEADE.     12mo,  cloth,  illus- 
trated, price  75  cents. 

"A  charming  story  of  child  life.  Little  Sir  Rowland  is  one  of  the 
most  fascinating  of  the  misunderstood  child  heroes  of  the  day.  The  quaint 
doings  and  imaginings  of  this  gentle,  lovable,  but  highly  original  child  are 
introduced  by  Mrs.  Meade,  with  all  her  accustomed  pathos." — Guardian. 

Adventures    of    Prince   Prigio.    BY   ANDREW   LANG. 

12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  75  cents. 

"This  book  has  so  much  charm  of  style  and  good  writing  that  it  will  be 
eagerly  read  by  many  other  than  the  young  folk  for  whom  it  is  intended." 
—Black  and  White. 

A  Flock  of  Four.     A  Story  for  Boys  and  Girls.     By 

ISMAY  THORN.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  75  cents. 
"As  a  gift  book  for  boys  it  is  among  the  best  new  books  of  the  kind. 
The  story  is  interesting  and  natural,   from  first  to  last." — Gazette. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  the 
publisher,  A.  I*  BUUT,  52-58  Duane  Street,  New  York. 


20        A.  L.  BURT'S  BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE. 

BOOKS  FOR  BOYS. 

A  Flat  Iron  for  a  Farthing.    The  Story  of  an  Only 

Son.    By  JULIANA  HORATIA  EWINQ.   12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  75  cents. 

"A  Tery  good  book  it  is,  full  of  adventure,  graphically  told.     The  style 

is  just  what  it  should  be;    simple  but  not  bold,   full  of  pleasant  humor, 

and  with  some  pretty  touches  of  feeling.     Like  all  Mrs.   Ewing's  tales, 

it  is  sound,  sensible,  and  wholesome." — Times. 

The  Greek  Heroes.    Fairy  Tales  for  My  Children.    By 

CHARLES  KINGSLEY.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  75  cents. 

"We  do  not  think  these  heroic  stories  have  ever  been  more  attractively 
told.  .  .  There  is  a  deep  under-current  of  religious  feeling  traceable 
throughout  its  pages  which  is  sure  to  influence  young  readers  power- 
fully. One  of  the  children's  books  that  will  surely  become  a  classic." — 
London  Review. 

Jackanapes.     BY  JULIANA  HORATIA  EWING.    12mo, 

cloth,  illustrated,  price  75  cents. 

"This  is  one  of  Mrs.  Ewing's  charming  little  stories  for  young  children. 
The  narrative  ...  is  full  of  interest  for  its  real  grace  and  delicacy, 
and  the  exquisiteness  and  purity  of  the  English  in  which  it  is  written." — 
Boston  Advertiser. 

Princess  and  Curdie.    By  GEORGE  MACDONALD.     12mo, 

cloth,  illustrated,  price  75  cents. 

"One  of  the  cleverest  and  most  pleasing  stories  it  has  been  our  good 
fortune  to  meet  with  for  some  time.  The  Princess  and  Curdie  are  delight- 
ful little  beings,  whom  to  read  about  is  at  once  to  become  very  fond  of." 
—Examiner. 

Peter  the  Pilgrim.     The  Story  of  a  Boy  and  His  Pet 

Rabbit.    By  L.  T.  MEADE.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  75  cents. 
"Little  Peter,  with  his  soft  heart,  clever  head,  and  brave  spirit  is  no 
morbid   presentment  of   the   angelic   child    'too   good   to   live,'    and   who   is 
certainly    a   nuisance   on    earth,    but   a    charming   creature,    if   not   a   por- 
trait, whom  it  is  a  privilege  to  meet  even  in  fiction." — The  Academy. 

We  and  the  World.    A  Story  for  Boys.    By  JULIANA 

HORATIA  Ewraa.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  75  cents. 
"The  author  has  evidently  studied  the  ways  and  tastes  of  children  and 
got  at  the  secret  of  amusing  them;     and  has  succeeded  in  what  is  not 
so  easy   a   task   as   it   may   seem — in   producing   a   really   good   children's 
book." — Daily  Telegraph. 

little    Ivan's    Hero.     A    Story    of    Child    Life.     By 

HELEN  MILMAN.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  73  cents. 
"We  should  imagine  those  queer  folk  indeed  who  could  not  read  this 
story  with  eager  interest  and  pleasure,   be  they  boys  or  girls,   young  or 
old.     We  highly  commend  the  style  in  which  the  book  is  written,  and  the 
spirit  which  pervades  it." — World. 

Dick,  Marjorie  and  Fidge.     The  Wonderful  Adventures 

of  Three  Little  People.    By  GK  E.  FARROW.    12mo,  cloth,  illust'd,  price  75c. 

'     .     .     .     To  the  young,  for  whom  it  is  especially  intended,  this  is  a 

most  interesting  book  of  adventures,   well  told,   and  a   pleasant  book  to 

take  up  when  their  wish  is  to  while  away  a  weary  half-hour.     We  have 

Been  no  prettier  gift-book  for  a  long  time." — Athenzeum. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  the 
publisher,  A,  L.  BtJBT,  52-58  Duane  Street,  New  York. 


A.  L.  BURIES  BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE.        21 

BOOKS  FOR  BOYS. 

A  Wonder  Book:  For  Boys  and  Girls.     Comprising 

Stories  of  Classical  Fables.     By  NATHANIEL  HAWTHORNE.     12mo,  cloth, 
illustrated,  price  75  cents. 

"A  beautiful  little  story.  It  will  be  read  with  delight  by  every  child 
Into  whose  hands  it  is  placed." — Gazette. 

Iffy  Dog  Plato:  His  Adventures  and  Impressions.     By 

H.  M.  CORNWALL  LEGH.     12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  75  cents. 
"A  capital  story,   and  one  we  heartily  commend  to  boy  readers,  both 
gentle  and  simple." — Guardian. 

Squib  and  His  Friends.     A  Story  for  Children.    By 

ELLEN  EVERKTT  GREEN.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  75  cents. 
"This  book  will  please  by  Its  simplicity,  its  tenderness,  and  it*  healthy 
Interesting  motive.     It  is  admirably  written." — Scotsman. 

Tom's  Opinion.     The  Story  of  a  Boys'   School.    By 

the  author  of  "  Miss  Toosey's  Mission."    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  75c. 
"A    beautiful    little    story.     ...     It    will    be    read    with    delight    by 
every  boy  into  whose  hands  it  is  placed." — Pall  Hall  Gazette, 

Robin's  Ride.     A   Story  for  Children.    By  ELLINOR 

D.  ADAMS.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  75  cents. 

"It  is  a  first-rate  boys'  book.  It  is  a  capital  story;  the  characters  arc 
well  drawn,  and  the  incidents  are  perfectly  natural." — Times. 

Peter  and  Tom.     A   Story  for  Boys.     By  BELLE  S. 

CRAQIN.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  75  cents. 

Peter  and  Tom  were  unlikely  heroes,  particularly  In  the  direction  of 
heroism,  but  the  proper  chord  was  touched  in  each  of  their  lives,  and 
through  many  trials  and  adventures  they  developed  Christian  principles  and 
successful  business  traits. 

Murse  Heatherdale's  Story.    By  MRS.  MOLESWORTH. 

12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  75  cents. 

"  'Nurse  Heatherdale's  Story'  is  all  about  a  small  boy,  who  was  good 
enough,  yet  was  always  getting  into  some  trouble  through  complication* 
in  which  he  was  not  to  blame.  He  is  an  orphan,  though  he  is  cared  for  in 
a  way  by  relations,  who  are  not  so  very  rich,  yet  are  looked  on  as  well 
fixed.  After  many  youthful  trials  and  disappointments  he  falls  into  a 
big  stroke  of  good  luck,  which  lifts  him  and  goes  to  make  other*  happy." 
— Commercial  Advertiser. 

The  Last  of  the  Huggermuggers.    A  Giant  Story.    By 

CHRISTOPHER  P.  CRAUCH.    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  75  cents. 

"Fresh  and  charming  in  style,  with  fun  that  is  never  forced,  pathos 
that  is  always  genuine,  and  with  a  distinctly  wholesome  purpose.  This  is 
certain  to  be  a  favorite  with  boys." — Literary  World. 

The   Hunting   of   the    Snark.    By    LEWIS    CARROLL, 

author  of  "Alice  in  Wonderland."    12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  price  75  cents. 

"Whether  as  regarding  author  or  illustrator,  this  book  is  a  Jewel 
rarely  to  be  found  nowadays.  Not  a  whit  inferior  to  its  predecessor  in 
grand  extravagance  of  imagination,  and  delicious  allegorical  nonsense." 
— Quarterly  Review. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  tho 
publisher,  A.  L.  BTTBT,  52-58  Duano  Street,  New  York. 


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